Posted on by Michael Halpern

26-50: March 2019 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking (w/ new blurbs, updated rankings, and slightly updated projections)

Things change fast in the prospect world. Even during the off-season these lists can be fluid. Now that we’ve actually laid eyes on many of the 2019 versions of these prospects, and have the first indication of how their parent clubs view them fitting in on the future roster, I decided to update the first 100 of my 2019 Top 472 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking. Here is the March 2019 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking: 26-50 (w/ new blurbs, updated rankings, and slightly updated projections):

CLICK HERE FOR 1-25
CLICK HERE FOR 51-75
CLICK HERE FOR 76-114 (PODCAST)

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

+5 (26) Christin Stewart DET, OF, 25.4 – One of my favorite underrated prospects, Stewart is performing well this spring, going 5 for 18 with 2 homers and a .944 OPS, but more importantly he proved he is fully recovered from the core muscle surgery which ended his 2018 season. Take advantage of the fact he gets no respect on traditional lists because of his poor defense, and draft him in every league he is available (redraft, shallow keeper, etc …). I want to say he will provide similar value to Matt Olson and Matt Chapman, but while Stewart’s launch angle and strikeout rate should be similar, his exit velocity readings weren’t as beastly as those two. 2019 Projection: 73/26/85/.249/.336/.470/1 Prime Projection: 77/31/93/.254/.345/.489/1

27) Luis Robert CHW, OF, 21.8 – The injured thumb that tanked Robert’s 2018 season is jammed again after a headfirst slide into 2nd base. It’s supposedly not that serious and should sideline him only a few days, but it’s not a good sign how easily it got re-injured. Also, maybe we shouldn’t be sliding headfirst in spring training games, although are spring training games any less meaningful for prospects than minor league games? ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 86/27/88/.265/.338/.481/18

28) Jonathan India CIN, 3B, 22.3 – Nothing new to say on India and Gorman. They are still my top 2 picks in a first year player draft. ETA: Mid 2020 Prime Projection: 91/24/85/.268/.346/.463/14

29) Nolan Gorman STL, 3B, 18.11 – Look up one inch. ETA: 2022 Prime Projection: 88/36/105/.265/.355/.520/2

30) Yusei Kikuchi SEA, LHP, 27.9 – Hasn’t looked all that hot this spring, but he did look better in his latest outing. I think Kikuchi couldn’t care less about feeding the hype machine, and is slowly adjusting to a new routine and getting himself ready for when it counts. I wouldn’t expect to truly see him at his best and open up his full bag of tricks until the regular season begins. 2019 Projection: 12/3.69/1.21/163 in 170 IP

31) MacKenzie Gore SD, LHP, 20.1 – This is a lofty ranking for a young pitching prospect who hasn’t really proven anything yet, and if this thing goes sideways, I’m blaming that flashy, Rockettes-style leg kick. I even mentioned we all might be getting taken in by that leg kick back in my 2017 MLB Draft Ranking, where I ranked Gore 5th and said, “I am a sucker for a big lefty with a funky delivery, and Gore not only checks those boxes, but he also has elite control of a low 90’s fastball, along with three different secondary pitches (slider, curveball, changeup) that flash plus and project as above average or better. Nothing about him screams ace, and maybe we are all being pulled in by that leg kick (something I am seriously considering, ha) but all together, there doesn’t seem to be many weaknesses, either.” The very same thing could still be said about him today.  ETA: 2021/22 Prime Projection: 15/3.21/1.07/215 in 200 IP

32) Casey Mize DET, RHP, 21.11 – Mize looked great in his spring debut (and spring finale), striking out 2 in 2 IP and reaching 98 MPH on the stadium gun. He was reassigned to minor league camp yesterday. I think he could more than hold his own in the major league rotation right now, but MLB loves to hide their most exciting young players in the minors for years, just to make sure they lose as much of their marketability as possible before debuting in some meaningless game in August/September after over half their teams fan base has already checked out on the season. ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 16/3.49/1.15/215 in 190 IP

33) Andrew Vaughn 1B, California, 21.0 – What the hell, I’m adding 2020 First Year Player Draft guys into this ranking too. Vaughn ranked 4th on my 2020 Top 90 First Year Player Draft Rankings, but I wrote I wouldn’t blame you if you took him #1. And now I’m not blaming myself and would take him #1. He is wrecking college ball right now, slashing .529/.680/1.176 with 7 homers and a 5/15 K/BB in 10 games, although Cal doesn’t really get into the meat of their conference schedule until this weekend.. Plus hit, plus power, and plus proximity. Prime Projection: 82/30/94/.285/.361/.514/2 ETA: 2021

+43 (34) Yusniel Diaz BAL, OF, 22.6 – Count me all-in on Yusniel Diaz. He has a good feel to hit with average speed and if spring training is any indication, his power is about to take the next step. Mitch Haniger is the ceiling comp. ETA: Mid 2019 Prime Projection: 87/26/88/.276/.345/.481/10

35) Kristian Robinson ARI, OF, 18.4 – I drafted Robinson in the 2nd round of my 12 team, hometown dynasty league, passing up on players I had previously ranked higher than him in Gavin Lux and Luis Garcia. Some of it had to do with preferring upside based on my roster construction and league set-up, but when the pressure was on, I wanted Robinson. It either goes to show you shouldn’t be a slave to anyone’s rankings, even your own, or conversely, when the pressure is on and emotions come into play, you make stupid decisions. We’ll figure out which one a few years from now, but until then, I like to put my money where my mouth is, so I bumped Robinson up over those guys. Actions speak louder than words. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 86/28/95/.268/.355/.498/14

36) Bobby Witt Jr. SS, High School, 18.10 – Witt certainly doesn’t lack for confidence, saying last year, “My goal in baseball is to be the best that’s ever played. I want to set my goals high and keep going after them until I eventually can’t do it anymore.” He is old for his high school class and the hit tool needs improvement, but the plus power-speed combo is worth chasing after. Prime Projection: 88/26/92/.257/.339/.479/21 ETA: 2024

37) Jasson Dominguez OF, NYY, 16?? – An international man of mystery. There is still not very much information out there on Dominguez other than a few “The Scout” style Youtube videos of him on the backfields. I just can’t resist the upside. Prime Projection: 96/28/94/.281/.357/.511/19 ETA: 2025

38) Gavin Lux LAD, SS, 21.4 – One of my Twitter followers, @ReedDeSalvo, caught a few Lux at-bats this spring and came away impressed, saying, “Got to see Gavin Lux’s at-bats yesterday. Roping a Thyago Viera fastball for a hit. Didn’t realize how big Lux is — 6’2, 190 legit — his stance is a slightly more upright KBryant (not comparing just saying). You’re definitely high on him, but man I REALLY liked his physique.” You heard the man, don’t sleep on Lux’s physique, and considering he is the same age as the juniors in the 2019 MLB draft, there just might be another level of power to be unlocked. ETA: Late 2020 Prime Projection: 93/20/69/.275/.352/.450/17

39) Danny Jansen TOR, C, 24.0 – Going only 3 for 15 this spring has kept the hype train in check and also kept his price reasonable in redraft leagues. Jansen would be my top late round catcher to target. 2019 Projection: 51/15/59/.257/.345/.429/2 Prime Projection: 64/21/73/.273/.351/.463/6

40) Vidal Brujan TB, 2B, 21.2 – Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson, Brandon Lowe, and Nick Solak are all currently ahead of Brujan on Tampa’s 2B depth chart. The competition might be even tougher in the OF, plus Brujan has never played a single inning in the OF during his minor league career. Tampa loves to platoon, and while Brujan is a switch hitter, he hits righties much better than lefties. I’m not dinging his value for any of this, but it is something I would keep in mind, and it might make me a little more willing to trade him if the right deal came along. ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 91/13/56/.283/.348/.419/33

41) Andres Gimenez NYM, SS, 20.7 – Like Bichette, Gimenez is another player I would love to get sprint speed data on, because I have seen his speed grades all over the place. Maybe one day I’ll get my ass out from behind the computer and start timing these guys on my own. Like my grandfather used to say, “if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.” ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 92/17/66/.288/.343/.421/20

42) Sixto Sanchez MIA, RHP, 20.8 – Trade to Miami puts him in a better ballpark, and while Miami is a Quad-A team right now, they can’t be this bad forever. Although they seemed to target a whole bunch of high risk/high reward prospects in their rebuild (Brinson, Harrison, Alfaro), so maybe their chances are actually pretty high of being this bad for a long time. ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 14/3.42/1.07/188 in 182 IP

43) Dylan Cease CHW, RHP, 23.3 – Made his spring debut yesterday, pitching a scoreless inning and consistently hitting 98 MPH with his fastball. Control was shaky, throwing only 8 of 14 pitches for strikes, but that can be expected for his first outing. ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 13/3.78/1.29/196 in 174 IP

44) Luis Urias SD, SS/2B, 21.10 – 6 for 18 with a 6/1 K/BB, 1 homer, and 1 steal. Strikeout rate was also considerably higher in 2018 than it had been in previous years, and although it came with a small spike in power, his 3.4 degree launch angle in his small MLB sample isn’t a great sign. DJ LeMahieu without Coors would be my best comp, albeit with higher upside because he has been much younger than his competition every step of the way. 2019 Projection: 69/10/50/.262/.328/.392/6 Prime Projection: 96/18/63/.293/.371/.469/12

45) Francisco Mejia SD, C/OF, 23.5 – Cracked his first spring homer yesterday against Mike Leake. He’s now 8 for 16 this spring with a 3/2 K/BB. There really isn’t any room for him in the starting lineup other than at catcher, so much of his value will be tied to beating out Hedges as the starting catcher over the course of the year. Work on that defense! 2019 Projection: 31/9/27/.252/.300/.401/2 Prime Projection: 69/22/82/.278/.331/.456/4

46) Adley Rutschman C, Oregon State, 21.2 – Slashing .343/.540/.800 with 5 homers and a 8/15 K/BB in 11 games. I mentioned in my original write-up that safe college bats are bound to rise as we get closer to the draft, and that is exactly what is happening with my rankings. Why didn’t I just rank them higher in the first place, you might ask? Good question. Prime Projection: 78/26/87/.278/.366/.483/3 ETA: 2021

47) Daz Cameron DET, OF, 22.2 – Another one of my favorite underrated prospects. Cameron has plus speed, a clear path to the future starting CF job, and a batted ball distribution that makes a power outbreak almost inevitable as he matures. I’m also a sucker for bloodlines. ETA: Late 2019 Prime Projection: 88/19/69/.262/.340/.442/23

-11 – (48) Luis Garcia WASH, SS, 18.10 – A prospect evaluator I really respect, John Calvagno, voiced some concerns on Twitter in late January about the hype Garcia was getting, saying, “I’m a little lower than most on Luis Garcia (Nats) I saw him for 2 games in April pre-breakout. I liked the hands and the bat speed was evident but the linear swing and minimal load has me ? the future power and not sure the speed ages well. Likely a 2B-3B long term.” This could be a Leody Taveras, getting hype a little too early situation, which I didn’t properly factor in on my original ranking. ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 88/22/82/.287/.346/.469/14

49) Jeter Downs LAD, SS, 20.8 – There is a reason one of the smartest teams in baseball stole Downs out from under Cincinnati. He might not have blazing speed or huge raw power, but he excels in the skills that make for a great modern day baseball player. He hit the ball in the air over 50% of the time, had a strikeout rate under 20%, a 9.9% walk rate, and stole 37 bases. I drool over insane tools as much as the next guy, but Downs has insane baseball skills and is being criminally underrated by the prospect community right now. ETA: 2022 Prime Projection: 88/23/77/.271/.355/.468/18

50) Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 19.8 – Practices something called goat yoga, where goats literally walk on your back as you’re lying down. Why am I wasting my time blogging when I can come up with a snake oil scheme to scam gullible young millionaire athletes out of their money? ETA: 2022 Prime Projection: 89/24/81/.278/.352/.477/16

CLICK HERE FOR 1-25
CLICK HERE FOR 51-75

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THANK YOU!

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

March 2019 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking: 1-25 (w/ new blurbs, updated rankings, and slightly updated projections)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CLICK HERE FOR 26-50
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT MY WORK I WOULD BE FOREVER GRATEFUL. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE WHATEVER YOU FEEL IS APPROPRIATE:


CLICK HERE FOR MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT
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THANK YOU!

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 16-40

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

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

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

40) John Lamb CIN, LHP – Sleeper alert! Poor man’s Steven Matz. Will start 2016 in the Reds rotation. Put up a pitching line of 2.67/1.17/117 in 111.1 IP in Triple-A last season. Prime projection: 3.42/1.18/190 in 190 IP
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-15

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

The top 15 hold few surprises. These are all highly sought after players, who are getting hyped to death. The fun really begins the deeper into the list we go. But today it is all about the elite of the elite. It should be noted that these rankings are for dynasty leagues, not for just 2016. Proximity to the majors is favored, but upside is still highly valued. With that in mind, here are the 2016 top 15 fantasy baseball prospects:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15) J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Would rank higher if this wasn’t a fantasy ranking, due to his plus defense and plate discipline. Projects for average power and above average speed. Prime projection: 100/12/62/.289/22
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 16-40

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com