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)

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 16

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 16:

Alex Bregman HOU, SS/3B/OF/David Dahl COL, OF/Braden Shipley ARI, RHP – One of these things is not like the other, but all are getting the call to the big leagues. I would pick up Bregman and Dahl in leagues of all sizes, they have been raking all season. Shipley I would touch only in deeper leagues. He has put up mediocre stats in the PCL (5.8 K/9), but there is more K upside in there than he has displayed this year.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – 6 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BB, 6 K in his start this week as he tries to right the ship coming off rocky outings in his previous two starts. Fighting through some adversity can actually help him in the long run, especially since there is a clear and obvious reason for it, Colorado Springs and the PCL. Don’t go panic selling Hader for some mediocre return.

Nick Senzel CIN, 3B – Showed off his homerun power cracking 2 of them this week. He still has only 2 homers in 30 games, but any adjustment to unlock more game power was unlikely to come this year anyway. My co-host, Ralph Lifshitz from Razzball.com, and I will be bullshitting about Senzel and many more of the MLB Draft prospects in Episode 2 of our new podcast, Fantasy Gold Rush, which should drop sometime tomorrow. You can now find our Pilot and all future episodes on iTunes.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – The year of Willie continues! Smashed 5 more homers, giving him 22 on the season. Just keep working on that 2B defense.

Tom Murphy COL, C – 1 homer and 3 walks in 5 games this week. 3 BB! Those 3 walks were over 50% of his BB total on the season up to that point.

Paul DeJong STL, 3B – I wrote about DeJong way back in week 5, and he has kept hitting for power since then. He hit 2 more dingers this week, giving him 18 on the season in Double-A. His 110/28 K/BB needs improvement, but his first full season of pro-ball has been a smashing success.

Jose De Leon LAD, RHP – 8 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BB, 10 K and now has 29 K’s in his last 3 starts in the PCL. His early season injury and lack of big fastball or nasty breaking pitch has kept the hype in check, but I think his fastball/changeup combo is going to play on the next level.

Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS – After questioning KC’s developmental strategy with Mondesi last week, he has gone on an absolute tear, collecting 11 hits with a homer and 5 steals at Triple-A. KC is like the parents who throw their kid in the deep end of the pool in order to teach him how to swim.

Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Is it too early to have mid-season top 100 prospect risers and fallers? Because Tucker has been underwhelming since generating tons of hype on mid-season lists everywhere. He has 9 K’s in his last 9 games and hasn’t had an extra base hit since July 7. He is still super talented, but there is a long way to go for the 19-year-old.

Phil Bickford SFG, RHP – Another player whose wheels came off after getting mid-season list helium. His velocity is down and he had a poor showing at the national showcase Futures Game. I mentioned the added risk with Bickford due to his high-effort delivery in my Top 10 Fantasy Breakouts post last month, and that risk looks like it is rearing its ugly head already. Rumor has it that San Francisco is also making him very available in trades, so leaving AT&T park can be another big blow to his fantasy value.

Chris Shaw SFG, 1B – Has seriously struggled since being promoted to Double-A, slashing .188/.220/.294 in 21 games. Considering he already had a few obstacles to overcome by being a 1B only guy in a huge ballpark, the poor start at Double-A is concerning.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Smoked 3 more homers this week and continues to play exactly as advertised this season.

Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – Returned to full season ball this week, and didn’t disappoint by going 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 4 K.

Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – The hot streak continues, hitting 2 more bombs. After the slow start, he has now raised his triple-slash up to .271/.333/.432 with 7 homers and 10 steals in 91 games.

Christin Stewart DET, OF – Slashed .417/.500/.667 and clubbed his 21st homer of the season this week. Stewart is long overdue for a promotion to Double-A.

Yadier Alvarez LAD, RHP – 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 10 K in his first start in full season ball. If this guy is somehow still available in your Dynasty League (of any size) I would probably pick him up right now.

Ryan McMahon COL, 3B – Showing signs of life, slashing .429/.500/.879 with a homer this week and has a .859 OPS in the last month. His stock has certainly taken a hit this year, but he hasn’t gone bankrupt quite yet.

Anthony Alford TOR, OF – Another player trying to rise from the dead, Alford slashed .333/.462/.667 with 2 homers and 1 steal this week. Unlike McMahon, there are legitimate reasons for Alford’s disaster season (concussion, knee injury).

Triston McKenzie CLE, RHP – 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BB, 8 K and now has a pitching line of 0.48/1.04/42 in 37.2 IP. He looks like a string bean right now, but he can become a true beast once he starts adding muscle.

Rhys Hoskins PHI, 1B/Daniel Palka MIN, OF/Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – I’ll dedicate this last section to my main man Ralph, who is higher on all of these guys than I am. They are the top 3 in homeruns in the entire minor leagues right now, with 28, 25, and 25, respectively, but I have some questions about each one’s ultimate fantasy impact. If you can grab these guys on the cheap, then I definitely get chasing the power upside, but they aren’t players I would be buying in trades or drafting high in upcoming/off-season prospect drafts.

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

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)

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)

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 11

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 11:

LeBron James CLE, SF – My bad, wrong sport. But did you see those blocks and dunks LeBron was swatting/throwing down last night? I think he can fly.

Willson Contreras CHC, C – The Cubs game was on a smaller TV at the bar I was at for Game 7, and I was probably the only one keeping an eye on it. Actually, I know I was the only one, because when Contreras homered on his very first Major League pitch, I was the only idiot in the entire place to jump up in celebration. Contreras will be rewarded with his first Major League start in tonight’s game.

Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – I hyped Demeritte in my very first Fantasy Prospect Rundown in week 1 of the season, and he has hit only 14 more homers since then. His breakout season got him ranked #3 on the 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts post that I wrote on Friday, and to celebrate, he hit two more homers the night of that article.

Phil Bickford SFG, RHP – Bickford got promoted to High-A this week, and went 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BB, 13 K. He ranked #10 on that Fantasy Prospect Breakouts post.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Smashed 2 more bombs this week, and now has a 36/24 K/BB with 14 homers in 67 games at Double-A. It is seriously hard to think of another prospect in the entire minor leagues with a better power/contact profile than Willie.

Alex Bregman HOU, SS/3B – Oh wait, I found one. Bregman has a 21/34 K/BB with 14 homers in 56 games at Double-A. He has maintained his power surge all season, and it is becoming clear that he is one of the very top hitting prospects in the minors.

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – I was smelling a hot streak coming on in week 9’s Rundown, and right on cue, Benintendi started to fill up the box score at Double-A. He slashed .333/.370/.667, with 2 homers, and 1 steal this week. He has only 4 homers on the season, but 3 of them have been in his last 9 games, so it looks like the power is coming.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Pitched a 6 BB no hitter through 6 innings this week in classic Glasnow style. Control problems and all, I still have him as the third best pitching prospect in baseball behind Urias and Giolito.

Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Did someone say control problems? It took Reyes 100 pitches to throw 4.1 innings in his start on Saturday, racking up 6 K’s and walking 2. He now has a 15.6 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 26 IP at Triple-A.

Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 5 K. It looks like the top high school pitcher chosen in last year’s draft is starting to shake that rust off after off-season back surgery.

David Dahl COL, OF – Double-D crushed two more homers this week, giving him 13 on the season, and made an over the fence, home run saving catch in the OF too. Please don’t pay any attention to the fact the fence looks a little on the small side.

Josh Bell PIT, 1B – Answered the Bell 3 times this week, giving him 10 homers and a .319/.408/.520 triple-slash in 67 games at Triple-A. He is doing this in one of the tougher parks and leagues for hitting, so this certainly looks like the power surge we have been waiting for.

A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – Reed is starting to heat up, slashing .357/.357/.607, with 1 homer, and 4 doubles this week. It brings his OPS up to .826 on the season, and I still believe he has the potential to make a major impact in fantasy leagues in the second half.

Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Promoted to Triple-A this week, and knocked 3 hits in his first game and then drilled a homer in his second. Not bad for a 21-year-old kid.

Max Kepler MIN, OF – Kepler has quietly been having a very nice season. He slashed .381/.435/.714, with 1 homer, and 1 steal this week for the big league club, and he now has a very respectable .750 OPS on the year in the majors. He isn’t going to have the eye popping homer or steal totals, but he will do a little bit of everything.

Chris Paddack MIA, RHP – Paddack no hit the Rome Braves at home last week, striking out 11 and walking 1 over 5 IP. He clearly wasn’t satisfied with that, though, as he faced them again on the road this week and threw 5 perfect innings with 8 K’s this time. Apparently the Braves don’t believe in hitting on any level. They also took pitchers with their first 6 picks of the draft this year! Either way, Paddack’s pitching line looks stupid so far on the year, 1.16/0.47/39 in 23.1 IP at Single-A, and if you have the space on your roster, I would definitely scoop this guy up.

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Buxton went back to hitting like the worst kid on your little league team, collecting 4 hits in his last 12 games. As frustrating as it is, you just have to give him more time.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – This season has been nothing short of a disaster for Fulmer. He gave up 6 ER in 4.1 IP this week, bringing his ERA up to 5.82 at Double-A. I had high hopes for him coming into the year, and the stuff is still there, but he is one of the biggest top 100 prospect fallers for me. He is also not helping the reputation of small right-handed starters everywhere, and just when they were starting to shed the negative stigma attached to them too.

Dillon Tate TEX, RHP – Tate is doing his very best to not be outdone by Fulmer, as he is having an awful season of his own. He went 5 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BB, 2 K in his start this week, and now has a 5.58 ERA at Single-A.

Dominic Smith NYM, 1B – Smith went ice cold this week, hitting .136, and his season triple-slash has now fallen to .260/.311/368 with 4 homers in 64 games at Double-A. With a bunch of other 1B prospects taking a step forward this year, Smith’s prospect stock has certainly taken a hit.

Brayan Hernandez SEA, OF – That isn’t a typo. Brayan with two a’s was a highly touted international free agent in 2014, signing with Seattle for $1.85 million, and he is the early breakout in Rookie Ball this year. He leads the Dominican League with 4 homers, to go along with a .358/.393/.660 triple-slash and 5 steals in 12 games. I wouldn’t jump on him quite yet, but you should definitely remember the name (which should be pretty easy considering the whole two a’s thing).

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

2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100 rankings)

This list would have been a lot easier if I could have just included Derek Fisher, Josh Hader, Willie Calhoun, Harrison Bader, and Tyler O’Neill. Unfortunately, I already had all of them ranked on my off-season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (#20, #21, #43, #51, and #78, respectively), and also in my pre-season Top 12 Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers post. Plus, all of these guys are starting to get their fair share of hype, so it is time to dig deeper and focus on the next group of up and comers. Here are the 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts:

1) Chase Vallot KC, C – I might have jinxed Vallot, because since I wrote a Chase Vallot, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post earlier this month, he has had one freak injury after another. Here is the Cirque du Soliel, acrobatic collision at home plate that he had the same night I wrote the breakout post, which resulted in a two week back injury. And here are the nasty results of taking a 93 MPH fastball right to the mouth on the very first day he returned from the back injury this week. Selfishly, these injuries might actually help fantasy owners who have off-season prospect drafts, because it will keep his overall numbers down.

2) Christin Stewart DET, OF – I’ve been kicking myself for not being higher on Stewart in the off-season, as he was literally right in my favorite prospect sleeper wheelhouse. He triple-slashed .311/.443/.633 with 15 bombs his junior year of college before being drafted 34th overall by Detroit in last year’s draft, and then he crushed 10 dingers directly upon reaching pro ball. It’s been more of the same this year, as he is slashing .239/.389/.509, with 16 homers, and a 69/48 K/BB in 65 games at High-A. He will likely never hit for a high average, but 20+ homers with a good OBP is a fair expectation once he reaches the majors.

3) Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – I wrote a Travis Demeritte, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post way back in the first week of the season, and he has continued his assault on High-A pitching since then. He is slashing .253/.342/.549, with 16 homers, and 10 steals in 64 games. His 90/33 K/BB is a bit concerning, and he will definitely need to cut down on his K’s some, but Demeritte is like the 2B version of Trevor Story.

4) Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – As I’ve mentioned a few times in my Weekly Prospect Rundowns, Cozens does not possess that super quick, direct path to the ball swing that I love. There probably isn’t much he can do about that, seeing as he is 6’6’’, 235 pounds, and oftentimes tall guys inevitably have long swings. He also plays in a hitter’s park, his K numbers have ballooned this year, and he might ultimately end up at 1B. Having said that, the numbers he is putting up right now are undeniable, slashing .294/.371/.595, with 19 homers, and 13 steals in 65 games at Double-A. He deserves a high spot on this list.

5) Josh Ockimey BOS, 1B – Ockimey is like the Babe Ruth of Twitter, constantly calling his shot. On February 4th he tweeted, “This is the year,” and then just a few weeks ago he tweeted, “Underrated temporarily for the moment.” Maybe it is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy sort of thing, because the 20-year-old Ockimey’s breakout is very real. He is slashing .285/.424/.500, with 9 homers, and a 59/49 K/BB in 58 games at Single-A. Barring a trade, he has the inside track to be Boston’s 1B of the future.

6) Ronald Guzman TEX, 1B – Here is what I wrote about Guzman in my Week 6 Fantasy Prospect Rundown, “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.” He has continued his strong season since then, and is now slashing .287/.355/.498 with 9 homers in 62 games. Considering his $3.5 million price tag, I assume the Rangers are definitely going to want to give him a real shot.

7) Eloy Jimenez CHC, OF – Jimenez was another highly touted International free agent, signing for $2.8 million with the Cubs in 2013. He always had super quick bat speed and prodigious raw power, and it is starting to really show up in his numbers this year, slashing .332/.370/.526, with 8 homers, and 4 steals in 62 games at Single-A. His 62/15 K/BB is pretty weak, so I doubt he keeps up the high average, but this is just the beginning for the 19-year-old Jimenez. He might end up ranking higher than a few of the guys ranked above him on this list in my mid-season top 100.

8) Mitch Keller PIT, RHP – Keller was the 64th overall pick of the 2014 draft, and after showing promise in his first year of pro ball, he struggled with a forearm injury last season. This season has been an entirely different story, as Keller has displayed insane command with a minuscule 0.9 BB/9, to go along with a pitching line of 2.42/0.81/76 in 67 IP at Single-A. He only throws in the low 90’s, but he does so with an extremely easy and repeatable delivery. He also gets a bump for being in a great situation for pitchers in Pittsburgh.

9) Chris Shaw SFG, 1B – Shaw has cooled down a bit since his smoking hot start, but the overall numbers still look good, slashing .273/.340/.517 with 13 homers in 62 games at High-A. Full credit goes to “The Baltimoron” for scoping him out in the comments section of my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article. I would still be a little cautious, though, because San Francisco has one of the top pitcher’s parks in the majors.

10) Phil Bickford SFG, RHP – Bickford is an absolute strikeout machine. He struck out 166 batters in 86.2 IP in JuCo last season, and he carried that success over to pro ball, putting up a line of 2.70/1.07/69 in 60 IP at Single-A this year. He also has solid control (2.2 BB/9). He does have a high effort delivery that creates some bullpen risk, but in fantasy baseball, I don’t really care about a pitcher having a safe (low K) floor. I’ll take the high K’s and bullpen risk.

*) My 1-year-old Nephew – I just got him to start throwing food with his left hand. Is it probably a little too early to call him a 2016 fantasy baseball prospect breakout? … No, the kid is already making adjustments at 13 months old!

Honorable Mentions: Dan Vogelbach, Drew Ward, Ronald Acuna, Rhys Hoskins, Chris Paddack, Anthony Banda, Mike Soroka, Ryan O’Hearn

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

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 8

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 8:

2nd Lt. Ange, Sgt. Jackson, Spc. Mackenzie, 1st Lt. Carey, 2nd Lt. Del Pino, Staff Sgt. Thatcher, Sgt. Hill, Sgt. Rivera, Spc. Binge, and Spc. Chambers United States Army – In honor of Memorial Day, I thought the least I could do was include a soldier of the week in the Rundown, and in doing so I stumbled across 10 soldiers of the week. These men and women were the winners of the 10th AAMDC’s Best Warrior Competition, which is a grueling 4-day competition where the soldiers have to complete several mentally and physically strenuous challenges on only 3 hours sleep per night. 15 competitors started the competition, and these 10 soldiers were the ones left standing. Congratulations to them, and if you want to read more about the competition, you can check out this article.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – Went deep in back-to-back-to-back games again this week and now has 11 dingers on the season. For someone “definitely not trying to hit home runs,” he sure hits a lot of home runs.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Bader isn’t making it easy, but Willie is climbing back in the race to be the best find from my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article that I wrote in the off-season. Calhoun smacked 3 homers this week (including one last night!), bringing his season slash line up to a very respectable .267/.325/.461 with 7 homers as a 21-year-old in Double-A. Welcome to the party, Willie.

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Buxton is officially destroying Triple-A, slashing .333/.402/.605, with 6 homers, and 4 steals in 28 games. It’s not going to make people forgot about his extreme struggles in the majors these past two years, but it’s a start.

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – The 22-year-old Buxton might as well be a washed up has been compared to the new cool kid on the block, Rodgers. He smashed a homer in his first game back returning from a hamstring injury, giving him 8 on the year in 35 games at Single-A.

Kyle Lewis Mercer, OF – My #1 ranked prospect in my Top 30 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings, Lewis jacked 3 more homers this week, giving him 20 on the season in 61 games. He is the premiere power hitting prospect in the draft. #2 ranked prospect Corey Ray kept up the pace as well, tacking on another dinger (15) and 2 steals (39) this week.

Matt Thaiss Virginia, C – Blasted another homer this week, and is now slashing .382/.477/.591 with 10 homers in 57 games in the ACC. I ranked him #23 in my Top 30 Draft Prospects due to his elite contact skills, but there could be even more power in his bat too when he gets out of Virginia’s pitcher’s park. He’ll probably be ranked higher when I update the Top 30 list as we get closer to the draft.

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – Had his best start of the season this week (7 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K), and he hasn’t given up more than 2 ER in all but one of his starts. I said back in week 5 that he will eventually find his rhythm and turn it around, and I still believe that.

Alex Reyes STL, RHP – 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BB, 7 K in his second start back from suspension. You can expect him to continue to rack up those K’s and BB’s.

Braden Shipley ARI, RHP – Shipley has a BB/9 of 1.0 and K/9 of 6.9 in 62.1 IP in the PCL this season. I can’t even get upset at those weak strikeout totals, 7 total walks on the season in that pitching environment is just impressive. More so for real life, but still.

Phil Bickford SFG, RHP – Bickford continues to impress, going 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 7 K in his start this week, and a holds a stellar pitching line of 2.72/1.02/50 in 43 IP. He is doing this in Single-A, so it’s probably time to see him against tougher competition.

Alex Bregman HOU, SS – Bregman has been so hot the entire season that I didn’t think it was possible for him to get any hotter, but he has managed to heat up even more this week, slashing .364/.440/.591 with 2 more homers. Houston’s 3rd base situation continues to be a disaster, with Colin Moran doing little to help the cause so far, so Bregman may get his chance sooner rather than later.

Willson Contreras CHC, C – Blasted 3 homers this week, giving him 6 on the season in 42 games. His power was the one area he had to improve on coming into this season, and his ISO is now .50 points higher in Triple-A than it was in Double-A last year.

Jorge Alfaro PHI, C – The talented Alfaro is “finally” (he is 22) putting it together this season, hitting 2 more homers this week, and is now slashing .336/.347/.517 with 4 homers in 27 games at Double-A. He has as much fantasy potential as any catcher in the minors.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – This is just your friendly, periodic reminder that Tyler O’Neill exists, and he is very, very good. The 20-year-old O’Neill is slashing .315/.380/.560, with 9 homers, and 3 steals in 48 games at Double-A, and he should be a relatively sought after fantasy commodity.

Bradley Zimmer CLE, OF – 2 more homers, 2 more steals, and had only 5 K’s in his last 6 games before dropping a golden sombrero last night (4 K’s in a game). We know he has the power and speed, so limiting K’s is last thing he has to improve on.

Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Meadows is starting to shake the rust off after coming back from a fractured orbital bone, slashing .409/.458/.591 in Double-A this week. He is slashing .255/.330/.398 on the season, and the power is the last thing remaining to make him a true elite fantasy prospect.

Joey Gallo TEX, OF – Here is what I wrote about Gallo in last week’s rundown: “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.” Then, right on cue a few hours later, Texas called him up the big leagues and everyone got excited (including me), only to see him rarely play and get sent right back down. Your guess is as good as mine as to what Texas’ plans are with Gallo.

John Lamb CIN, LHP – Lamb was one of my favorite pitching prospect sleepers coming into this year, ranking him 40th in my Top 100 before it was revealed he had back surgery earlier in the off-season. He has simply not displayed the same stuff and velocity so far this year, averaging 89.3 MPH on his fastball after averaging 91.1 MPH last year. When you are already in the low 90’s, you don’t really have 2 MPH to spare. Hopefully he gains velocity the further away he gets from that back surgery, but it’s tough to see him take a step back after making so much progress coming off a long Tommy John Surgery recovery.

Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – Flaherty (#69) is another one of my favorite pitching prospect sleepers who has struggled this year, but he had the best start of his season this week, going 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BB, 9 K. Flaherty credited the outing to the advice he received from former high school teammates Giolito and Max Fried.

Erick Fedde WASH, RHP – Still trying to fully recover from 2014 Tommy John Surgery, Fedde has now spun two shutouts in a row, striking out 11 and walking 1 in 11 IP. His season line still doesn’t look great, but this season is more about staying healthy and building up his IP count anyway. If he can continue to dominate, even better.

Luis Ortiz TEX, RHP – Got promoted to Double-A last week, and went a combined 11 IP, 4 ER, 11 Hits, 2 BB, 7 K in his two starts at the level. It looks like Texas might fast track the 20-year-old Ortiz, and he could make his MLB debut as soon as next season.

Tyler Viza PHI, RHP – Viza put himself on my radar back in week 6, and he had his best start of the season this week, going 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BB, 11 K. He isn’t someone I would be jumping on, but if he gets promoted to Double-A and can keep it up, you will start to see his name popping up in more places.

Ronald Guzman TEX, 1B – The 21-year-old Guzman cranked 2 more dingers this week (in one game), and is now slashing .329/.392/.547, with 7 homers, and a 38/16 K/BB in 46 games at Double-A. He is solidifying himself as one of the top breakout fantasy prospects of 2016.

Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – Cozens keeps on raking, hitting 3 more homers this week, giving him 14 on the season in 49 games at Double-A. I still think he has some holes in his swing and he is doing this is an excellent hitter’s environment, but I can’t deny the power numbers.

Heath Quinn Samford, OF/Ronnie Dawson Ohio St, OF – Quinn and Dawson are two of my favorite sleepers in the upcoming MLB Draft, and they both continued to do damage this week. Quinn knocked 2 more homers, giving him 21 on the season, and Dawson hit another homer (13) and swiped four more bags (20). Dawson (#30) is probably a deeper sleeper than Quinn (#14). We’ll call Dawson a REM sleeper, while Quinn is more of a napper.

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

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 4

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 4:

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Turned it on since getting demoted to Triple-A, seeing his OPS jump .111 points … from .497 to .608. Oof. I oddly see this as a positive, though. He wasn’t simply overmatched by MLB pitching. There is something fundamentally wrong with his swing right now, and it should be correctable.

Ozzie Albies/Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Both of Atlanta’s shortstops of the future are moving on up, Albies to Triple-A and Swanson to Double-A. Because I’m good at pattern recognition, it looks like Albies will get the first shot to win the SS job at the Major League level.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – Went deep in back-to-back-to-back games this week. It inspired me to write a Harrison Bader, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post last Friday after the first 2 homers, and Bader and his former coach both liked the article on Twitter! He is now slashing .345/.402/.560, with 5 homers, and 3 steals in 21 games at Double-A. He might want to think about changing his name to Harrison Gooder, because you know, branding and everything.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Starting to really heat up, and after launching 3 dingers this week, his season line stands at .253/.340/.529, with 6 homers, and a 36/11 K/BB. Expect more homers, strikeouts, and walks for about the next, say, 15 years or so.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Struck out 18 batters and gave up no earned runs over 11 IP in his two starts this week. He walked only 1 in his first start, and then 5 in his second start, so the control is still spotty.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Somebody get this man some more hype! I tried to all off season, but it seems like it has barely taken. He has only thrown up a pitching line of 0.78/1.09/32 in 23 IP at Double-A so far, and he hasn’t given up more than a single earned run in any of his 5 starts. I’m not sure if Milwaukee will want to call him up this season, but in Dynasty Leagues, he is a must own.

Phil Bickford SF, RHP – The 18th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Bickford has been nothing short of a strikeout machine these last two years. He had an insane 17.24 K/9 in 86.2 IP in JuCo in 2015, and has now struck out 33 batters in 20.2 IP this year at Single-A. He has excellent control, is still only 20 years old, and has prototypical starter size at 6’4’’, 200 pounds. He doesn’t have the huge fastball, but color me intrigued.

Lucas Sims ATL, RHP – 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB and 11 K in his start this week at Triple-A. He leads all of MiLB with 42 K’s, and is starting to regain some of that prospect shine. He is an underrated stash option in redraft leagues too.

Cody Reed CIN, LHP – 12 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BB and 11 K at Triple-A in his first two starts since returning from a cut finger. With Cincinnati’s shaky rotation, he is another underrated stash option in redraft leagues.

Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – Got his legs going this week, stealing his first 4 bags of the season, and also tacked on his 2nd and 3rd homer. He is triple-slashing .308/.341/.462 at Triple-A, and his 2015 breakout was clearly for real.

Jorge Mateo NYY, SS – Has been quietly putting up a very strong season at High-A, slashing .326/.392/.500, with 2 homers, and 7 steals in 22 games. His K% is up, and he has been caught stealing 5 times, so there are a few things to keep an eye on, as well.

Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Triple-A hasn’t slowed Winker down at all, and he continues to have one of the most advanced plate approaches of anyone in the minors. He smacked his first 2 homers of the season this week, and is now slashing .316/.404/.434 with a 11/12 K/BB in 20 games.

Jose Peraza CIN, 2B/SS/OF – Feet don’t fail me now. Peraza has only 2 steals and has been caught 4 times in his first 21 games at Triple-A this season. Considering basically all of his value comes from his speed, this is not exactly a great sign.

David Dahl COL, OF – Just keeps smoking the ball, hitting 2 more homers this week. He now has 8 homers, 8 steals, and a 1.026 OPS on the season. If he keeps hitting bombs, we might have to start calling him Double D.

Ryan McMahon COL, 3B – Has gone ice cold this week, and is now slashing .192/.271/.274, with no homers, and a 28/8 K/BB in 21 games at Double-A. Sorry Colorado, you can’t have all the breakouts.

Brett Phillips MIL, OF – I think it is time to slap Phillips with the slow starter label. He seemed like a hot starter early on, but his K’s were way up and there wasn’t much power, so I held off on tooting his horn. The singles have started to dry up now, and his season line now stands at .257/.360/.365, with only 1 homer, and 1 steal. He is still walking, but I’m starting to think the power/speed combo may be more of the moderate variety.

Dominic Smith NYM, 1B/Franklin Barreto OAK, SS/Nick Williams PHI, OF – Three really slow starters who have picked it up this week. None of their season lines are anything to write home about, but we can take them off the slow start watch list.

Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – The power is real. Crushed 3 more dingers this week (7 total), which brings his OPS up to .987 in a pitcher’s park at Double-A.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Another Cal League slugger whose power is translating to Double-A, as O’Neill hit 2 more homers in back-to-back games this week. That brings his total up to 6, and he has a .961 OPS on the season. I’ve been hyping him to death for months now, so you know the deal.

Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – .294/.378/.718, with 8 homers, and 4 steals in 21 games at High-A. Since I hyped him in my week 1 rundown, he has just kept hitting.

Mike Soroka ATL, RHP – The 18-year-old Soroka has been brilliant in his full season pro debut at Single-A, dominating hitters to the tune of 1.33/0.89/29 in 27 IP. He has a first round pedigree and is very young for his level. There is not a negative to be found here.

Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Was looking good to start the year until he ran into the Jupiter Hammerheads this week, and the Jupiter Hammerheads lived up to their awesome team name by touching Jay up for 10 hits, 5 earned runs, and no strikeouts in 4.1 IP. Looks like he still has some kinks to work out with his conversion from reliever to starter. Jupiter Hammerheads … I just wanted to say it one more time.

Domingo Acevedo NYY, RHP – The 22-year-old Acevedo has just been destroying Single-A, with a line of 1.91/0.81/32 in 28.1 IP. He relies heavily on his big fastball, so it is tough to get too excited until we see him against tougher competition, as much as I would like to as a Yankees fan.

Hunter Dozier KC, 3B/OF – Put another 2 homers on the board for the hot hitting, former 8th overall pick in the draft. He is slashing .307/.409/.640, with 6 homers, and 4 steals in 21 games at Double-A. At 24, he is old for the level, but the talent is still there and maybe he is just a late bloomer.

Christin Stewart DET, OF – The 34th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Stewart is powering up at High-A this year, hitting 8 homers in 24 games. He jacked 15 homers in the SEC last year, and then 10 more once reaching pro ball. He is striking out too much, and the batting average is low, but the power is too much to ignore at this point.

Ryan Cordell TEX, OF/Jordan Patterson COL, OF/Peter O’Brien ARI, 1B/OF – Three older prospects that I liked very early on in the off season, but convinced myself they were destined to be bench players. They are killing it in the early going, though, and who the fuck am I to say they are destined to the bench? If you like rooting for the underdog, pick these guys up and give em a shot.

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