New York Mets 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Along with a Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking, I wanted to highlight some interesting MLB guys and talk some team specific strategy for every team to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the New York Mets 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–A Top 18 Sneak Peek of my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings with more early releases coming all off-season
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)
–Positional Dynasty Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Previous Teams on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks–Baltimore Orioles=Chicago White Sox=Miami Marlins–Milwaukee Brewers–Minnesota Twins–New York Yankees–Oakland Athletics–Philadelphia Phillies–Seattle Mariners–St. Louis Cardinals

Hitters

Francisco Lindor NYM, SS, 28.4 – Baseball players are human beings. When you’ve spent your entire career, from the time you were 17 years old, with one organization, it is going to take time to adjust to a new city, new fans, new teammates, coaches, expectations etc … And that goes doubly when that new city is New York. And even if you don’t buy into all that mumbo jumbo, his underlying numbers in 2021 were almost exactly in line with career norms. He just got a bit unlucky this year. One thing slightly outside of his career norms was that he swung and missed at a career worst rate (23.2% whiff%), but he offset that with a career best 11.1% BB%. Lindor is an easy buy this off-season. 2022 Projection: 93/29/85/.267/.344/.482/17

Pete Alonso NYM, 1B, 27.4 – Alonso quietly took a huge step forward with his contact ability, notching career bests in K% (19.9% vs. 25.5% in 2020) and whiff% (24.9% vs. 30.4% in 2020). He also had a career best 91 MPH EV. And while it led to an excellent season (37 homers and a 133 wRC+ in 152 games), there is now potential for him to put up some truly historic seasons as he enters his peak years. I would buy high on Alonso. 2022 Projection: 94/45/112/.268/.357/.561/2

Starting Pitchers

Jacob deGrom NYM, RHP, 33.9 – You almost have to do a double take when looking at deGrom’s season numbers. 1.08 ERA? 0.55 WHIP? 45.1%/3.4% K%/BB%? Give me a second to pick my jaw up off the ground. Of course, in this flawed universe we live in, there always has to be a yang to the yin. He put up those numbers in only 92 IP because of a partial tear in the UCL of his elbow. He already started to throw side sessions at the end of September, so the hope is that he will be 100% for 2022, but it certainly adds a healthy dose of injury risk. 2022 Projection: 13/2.48/0.93/258 in 175 IP

Tylor Megill NYM, RHP, 26.8 – Megill quickly cruised through the upper levels of the minors before immediately impressing in his MLB debut, putting up a 26.1%/7.1% K%/BB% and 3.87 xERA in 89.2 IP. He has the stuff to back up the numbers with an above average 3 pitch mix led by his 94.6 MPH fastball. His 4.52 ERA should keep the hype in check, and I’m planning on grabbing Megill for cheap in every size league I play in this off-season. 2022 Projection: 8/3.90/1.27/161 in 155 IP

Bullpen

Edwin Diaz NYM, Closer, 28.0 – Diaz’ ERA jumped to 3.45, but everything in his underlying numbers shows he is still elite with a 2.63 xERA. His 4 seamer and slider both hit a career high in velocity at 98.8 MPH and 90.6 MPH. His strikeouts did dip a bit, but with a 35.1% whiff% and 34.6% K%, he is still in rarified air. 2022 Projection: 3/2.76/1.10/94/34 saves in 61 IP

New York Mets Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects

1) Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 20.4 – Alvarez is a bulldog at the plate at 5’10”, 233 pounds with massive raw power and a precocious plate approach. He put up a silly 227 wRC+ with a 10.4%/22.4% K%/BB% in 15 games at the age appropriate Single-A before he went to High-A and bashed 22 homers in 82 games. This is a do it all, middle of the order bat who has a good chance of sticking at catcher. Rutschman is going to have some competition for that top spot in a couple years. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 78/30/92/.272/.355/.495/4

2) Mark Vientos NYM, 3B, 22.4 – Vientos is 6’4, 185 pounds and was a power breakout waiting to happen. It happened. He crushed 22 homers in 72 games at Double-A and then he cracked 3 homers in 11 games at Triple-A to close the season. His strikeout rate spiked with the power to 28.4% at Double-A (30.2% at Triple-A), so there is risk, but his power has true elite potential. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 76/32/88/.248/.327/.502/1

3) Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 22.4 – Baty personifies the proverbial “professional at-bat.” He slashed .292/.382/.473 with 12 homers and a 25.5%/11.9% K%/BB% in 91 games split between High-A and Double-A. There is some swing and miss to his game (39.3% K% in 13 AFL games) and while he has at least plus power, his groundball percentage is way too high to take advantage of it (61.2% at Double-A). He would rank #2 on an OBP Ranking. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 83/25/81/.269/.353/.477/4

4) Alex Ramirez NYM, OF, 19.2 – I fell in love with Ramirez the second I saw his Youtube international prospect hype videos a few years ago. He remains a high upside lottery ticket who the Mets thought enough of to send straight to full season ball for his pro debut. He managed to hold his own with a near average 96 wRC+ and a respectable triple-slash of .258/.326/..384 with 5 homers, 16 steals and a 31.1%/6.9% K%/BB% in 76 games. He’s a projectable 6’3”, 170 pounds with a wicked righty swing and a potentially plus power/speed combo. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/23/81/.263/.331/.452/17

5) Ronny Mauricio NYM, SS, 21.0 – The power breakout arrived for the 6’3” Mauricio as he ripped 20 homers in 108 games at mostly High-A (1 homer in 8 games at Triple-A). He also cranked out this bomb a few days ago in LIDOM (Dominican Winter League). The plate approach is still raw with a 24.7%/5.7% K%/BB%, but 2021 was a step in the right direction to reaching his considerable upside. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 74/24/81/.261/.323/.465/7

6) Matt Allan NYM, RHP, 20.11 – Allan underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2021 which may keep him out until towards the end of the 2022 season. When healthy, he throws a mid 90’s fastball with a plus, high spin rate curveball and a changeup that was getting rave reviews at the alt site in 2020. He’s only pitched 10.1 professional innings in his career, and is now undergoing major arm surgery, so the risk is high, but so is the upside. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 12/3.83/1.25/175 in 160 IP

7) Khalil Lee NYM, OF, 23.9 – Lee has put up elite walk rates throughout his career and it hit a crescendo in 2021 with a career high 18.3% BB% in 102 games at Triple-A. It led to an impressive .951 OPS. He also has plus speed and plus raw power, but his high groundball rates (51.5%) and poor stolen base percentage (8 for 18 in 2021) makes it hard to project big homer and steal totals. His strikeout rates have also always been high with a 29.6% mark in 2021. It’s an interesting mix of tools and skills that has a very wide range of outcomes. 2022 Projection: 31/5/27/.222/.308/.391/4 Prime Projection: 77/18/74/.244/.333/.431/12

8) J.T. Ginn NYM, RHP, 22.10 – Ginn induces extreme groundball rates (64.1% at High-A) with a low 90’s, heavy sinking two seamer that generates a ton of drop and tail action. He combines that with a plus slider and developing changeup. It resulted in a strong season in the lower minors with a pitching line of 3.03/1.05/81/22 in 92 IP split between Single-A and High-A. He had also just undergone Tommy John surgery in March 2020, so he should only get stronger from here. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 10/4.06/1.28/159 in 165 IP

9) Carlos Rincon NYM, OF, 24.6 – The 6’3” Rincon has beastly raw power and he has been able to get to all of it his entire professional career with 94 home runs in 479 career games. It was more of the same in 2021 with 22 homers in 101 games at Double-A. He doesn’t have any problem keeping the ball off the ground and while his strikeout rates have always been high, a 26.8% mark in 2021 isn’t that bad. 2022 Projection: 6/2/11/.218/.291/.415/1 Prime Projection: 66/22/72/.243/.318/.475/3

10) Jose Butto NYM, RHP, 24.0 – Butto is the type of pitcher to work fast and throw the ball over the plate. A nasty changeup is his money maker and he combines that with an average slider and a low 90’s fastball that seems pretty hittable. He put together a strong year split between High-A and Double-A with a pitching line of 3.83/1.10/110/24 in 98.2 IP. He has a 4/5 starter profile with mid rotation upside if the fastball or breaking ball tick up. 2022 Projection: 1/4.52/1.35/27 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.24/1.31/153 in 160 IP

Just Missed

11) Joel Diaz NYM, RHP, 18.1

12) Calvin Ziegler NYM, RHP, 19.6

13) Dominic Hamel NYM, RHP, 23.1

14) Carlos Cortes NYM, OF, 24.5

Strategy Talk

It seemed like things were headed in the right direction when Steve Cohen took over as owner, but it’s been nothing but a hilarity of errors since then. They’ve been turned down by everyone with a pulse for their open front office job. And it turns out one of the people involved in that search is none other than noted baseball mind Chris Christie. Their former GM got fired for a DWI after attending a party at Cohen’s house earlier that night. And all of this just makes me think of a story of one of my favorite comedians, Chris Distefano, told about bombing in front of Steve Cohen at his birthday. He might be a good time to hang out with, but I’m not sure I would want him owning my favorite baseball team. What does all this mean for dynasty owners? Admittedly not much because we still don’t know who is going to be running the show, and the Mets haven’t had any major issues developing talent, except when it comes to pitcher injuries. Even with the circus like atmosphere, I wouldn’t shy away from Mets prospects.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–A Top 18 Sneak Peek of my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings with more early releases coming all off-season
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)
–Positional Dynasty Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Previous Teams on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks–Baltimore Orioles=Chicago White Sox=Miami Marlins–Milwaukee Brewers–Minnesota Twins–New York Yankees–Oakland Athletics–Philadelphia Phillies–Seattle Mariners–St. Louis Cardinals

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

St. Louis Cardinals 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

I decided to switch it up a little bit, and instead of only doing a Top 10 Prospect list, I wanted to highlight some MLB guys too and talk some team specific strategy for every team to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the St. Louis Cardinals 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)
–Positional Dynasty Rankings
-A slow rollout and early access to my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Previous Team Reports on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks/Baltimore Orioles/Chicago White Sox/Miami Marlins/Milwaukee Brewers/Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees/Oakland Athletics/Philadelphia Phillies/St. Louis Cardinals

Hitters

Tyler O’Neill STL, OF, 26.9 – Who needs a good plate approach anyway? O’Neill is just a power/speed glutton, smashing 34 homers with a 93 MPH EV, and stealing 15 bags with a 29.7 ft/s sprint speed. There is tons of risk with a 31.3%/7.1% K%/BB% and 34.7% whiff%, but you can’t rule out improvement there with only 892 MLB AB under his belt. The BA is certainly coming down, but the power/speed combo is elite, and I’m willing to take on the risk for that upside 2022 Projection: 85/32/86/.263/.337/.510/13

Dylan Carlson STL, OF, 23.5 – Carlson is basically the anti Tyler O’Neill, putting together a yawner of a year, but sometimes boring can be good. He put up a 113 wRC+ in his rookie year which is quite good, he showed a mature plate approach with a 24.6%/9.2% K%/BB%, and he showed the ability to lift the ball with a 15.1 degree launch angle. He also popped off in his final 16 games with 5 homers and a 1.157 OPS to show what could be in store for the future. Carlson is a major buy this off-season. 2022 Projection: 89/23/79/.273/.350/.468/5

Starting Pitching

 Jack Flaherty STL, RHP, 26.6 – I’m starting to grow a bit concerned with Flaherty. He put up a 5.07 xERA in 2020 and a 4.83 xERA in 2021. He missed time with an oblique strain earlier in the year and then with a shoulder strain later in the year, and his velocity was down a bit when he returned from those injuries. I guess you can look at this as a buying opportunity, but I would be hesitant to buy at name value price right now. If you can get a discount, then by all means. 2022 Projection: 10/3.83/1.18/181 in 168 IP

Adam Wainwright STL, RHP, 40.7 – Wainwright is a reminder that age can be such a dominating factor for dynasty owners, that older players can consistently get undervalued. He was a major reason why the eventual champion in my 12 team QS Dynasty League pulled away from the pack in the 2nd half of the season after I stupidly turned down multiple opportunities to trade for him myself before the deadline (I snuck into 2nd place on the final day of the season). He’s outperformed his xERA, xFIP, and FIP for the last 3 years, so I’m not exactly going after him, but I’m not going to completely dismiss him either. 2022 Projection: 11/3.95/1.27/156 in 175 IP

Bullpen

Alex Reyes STL, RHP, 27.7 – Reyes rightfully lost the closer job to Gallegos late in the year, and now has his eye on a rotation spot for 2022. He certainly has the arsenal to do it with a 5 pitch mix headlined by a 96.6 MPH 4-seamer and an elite slider, but his control is truly atrocious with a 16.4% BB%. He’s the ultimate high risk/high reward pitcher. If he improves his control, there is legitimate ace upside, but there is also a really good chance he ends up a high WHIP middle reliever. I’m prone to lean upside in fantasy, so I’ll definitely be willing to “overpay” by a few bucks (or a few rounds) in leagues where he is available this off-season. 2022 Projection: 7/3.89/1.34/130 in 115 IP

St. Louis Cardinals Top 10 Dynasty Prospects

1) Nolan Gorman STL, 3B/2B, 21.11 – Gorman’s hit tool took a huge step forward this year. He brought his K% down to 22% in the upper levels of the minors (29.7% in 2019), and he didn’t sacrifice much power with 25 homers in 119 games (and he’s already knocked one out in 3 games in the Arizona Fall League). The ingredients are there for him to become a complete middle of the order masher. 2022 Projection: 38/12/36/.248/.312/.445/2 Prime Projection: 83/28/90/.266/.339/.491/4

2) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 19.10 – Walker has huge raw power at 6’5”, 220 pounds, and he got to a lot of it in his pro debut with 25 doubles, 4 triples, and 14 homers in 82 games split between Single-A and High-A. He’s also a good athlete for his size as he snagged 14 bags. While his plate approach regressed at High-A (27%/6.1% K%/BB%), it looked more advanced than expected at the age appropriate Single-A (17.2%/14.8% K%/BB%). He’s far from a finished product, but there is star upside. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 86/29/93/.262/.344/.502/8

3) Juan Yepez STL, 1B/3B/OF, 24.0 – Yepez completely destroyed the upper levels of the minors, slashing .286/.383/.586 with 27 homers and a 18.9%/11.8% K%/BB% in 111 games at mostly Triple-A. He carried that right over to the Arizona Fall League, going 3 for 10 with a homer, double, and 2/1 K/BB in 3 games. He’s always made solid contact throughout his minor league career and was showing seeds of a power breakout in 2019 before exploding in 2021. He’s not great on defense and he doesn’t exactly have a position, but you can’t ignore those offensive numbers. 2022 Projection: 21/5/25/.241/.303/.434/1 Prime Projection: 73/24/81/.258/.325/.470/3

4) Matthew Liberatore STL, LHP, 22.5 – Liberatore was given an aggressive assignment, jumping straight from Single-A in 2019 to Triple-A in 2021. He was a bit up and down in the first half, but he finished the season strong with a 2.55 ERA and 53/14 K/BB in his final 53 IP, which is a great sign. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he has plus command of a 4 pitch mix and he knows how to pitch. 2022 Projection: 4/4.37/1.32/73 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.91/1.22/182 in 190 IP

5) Masyn Winn STL, SS/RHP, 20.0 – Winn might actually have a shot at being a two way player as he has explosive tools as both a pitcher and hitter. At the very least it gives him a legitimate back up plan if he can’t make enough of an impact at the plate. As for his hitting, he didn’t show much power in his pro debut with only 5 homers in 97 games split between Single-A and High-A, but there is more power coming down the line, and he had the wheels working with 32 steals in 37 attempts (obligatory disclaimer: rule changes made stealing bases easier at Single-A and High-A). He put up a 112 wRC+ in 61 games at Single-A before struggling at High-A with a 48 wRC+ in 36 games. As a pitcher, St. Louis gave him one inning towards the end of the season to show his stuff, and he impressed with a mid 90’s fastball and a nasty breaking ball. He pitched a clean inning with one K. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 77/15/62/.261/.320/.415/17 – 2/3.95/1.31/36 in 30 IP

6) Joshua Baez STL, OF, 18.9 – Drafted 54th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Baez was one of the youngest players in the draft and has one of the best power projections, notching a 102 MPH exit velocity at a Perfect Game event. He’s also relatively fast with a 6.67 60 yard dash time, showing he is not just a lumbering slugger. He doesn’t project for major strikeout issues, but there is some swing and miss to his game. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/25/84/.253/.336/.473/8

7) Ivan Herrera STL, C, 21.10 – Power broke out with 17 homers in 98 games at Double-A (played 1 game at Triple-A), and the plate approach remained strong with a 22%/13.7% K%/BB%. He’s not going to be a league winner, but he should be in the top 12 catcher conversation at peak. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection:  69/20/73/.271/.342/.448/2

8) Alec Burleson STL, OF, 23.4 – Burleson was drafted 70th overall in 2020 on the back of his strong hit tool, but there was definitely more power in the tank at 6’2”, 212 pounds. That power was unleashed in 2021 as he cracked 22 homers in 119 games split between 3 levels (A+/AA/AAA). He didn’t sacrifice his hit tool to get to it either as he put up a 20.1%/8.3% K%/BB%. The ceiling might not be huge, but he has a chance to be a damn good overall hitter. 2022 Projection: 8/2/11/.245/.300/.410/0 Prime Projection: 68/20/75/.273/.330/.453/2

9) Michael McGreevy STL, RHP, 21.9 – Drafted 18th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, McGreevy is a control artist who had a 1.5 BB/9 in his college career over 189.1 IP. The stuff isn’t huge with a low 90’s sinker and 3 secondaries (curve-best secondary, slider, change), but he’s young for his class and there could be more in the tank. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 10/4.18/1.26/158 in 170 IP

10) Lars Nootbaar STL, OF, 24.7 – Tink Hence was originally in this #10 spot, but Nootbaar’s AFL performance made me rethink that. He’s going bonkers in Arizona, slashing .314/.437/.643 with 5 homers and a 15/14 K/BB in 18 games. He held his own in his MLB debut with a 101 wRC+, an above average 89.1 MPH exit velocity and an advanced plate approach (22.6%/10/5% K%/BB%). He’s never stolen many bases, but he does have speed with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint speed. I’m worried he’s only a part time player, which is why I didn’t have him in the top 10 to begin with, but he deserves to crack this list. 2022 Projection: 41/10/38/.258/.327/.420/2 Prime Projection: 74/19/68/.272/.338/.448/4

11) Tink Hence STL, RHP, 19.8 – Hence was the 63rd overall pick in the 2020 Draft. He shows good control of a fastball that can reach 96 MPH, to go along with a plus slider and developing changeup. He has an easy delivery with lightening quick arm speed. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.12/1.28/167 in 160 IP

Just Missed

12) Luken Baker STL, 1B, 25.1

13) Brendan Donovan STL, 3B/2B, 25.2 

14) Zack Thompson STL, LHP, 24.5 

Strategy

St. Louis is known for their keen eye on drafting underrated hitters and their top notch ability to develop them. They do such a good job of it that there always seems to be a logjam for playing time, and it can be hard for them to know which ones to keep and which ones to trade. The ones they kept finally had big years, O’Neill especially, but Bader too. Guys like Burleson and Yepez fit this mold exactly, and both will almost certainly end up better values than it will cost to acquire them this off-season. If they can’t find playing time in St. Louis, they will get flipped to a team that does have room for them.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Dynasty Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)
–Positional Dynasty Rankings
-A slow rollout and early access to my Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season Top 466 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Previous Team Reports on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks/Baltimore Orioles/Chicago White Sox/Miami Marlins/Milwaukee Brewers/Minnesota Twins/New York Yankees/Oakland Athletics/Philadelphia Phillies/St. Louis Cardinals

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

Patreon Post: Top 322 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I went tiers on this one, because why not? Here is the Top 322 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 466 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-Off-season content: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Tier 1
1) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.3 – Your only job if you have Witt or Julio in your farm system is to resist the urge to trade them for the inevitable Trevor Story offer

2) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 20.9

Tier 2

3) Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 22.1

4) Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.11 – Put the cherry on top of his awesome season with 3 homers in 6 games at Triple-A

5) Riley Greene DET, OF, 21.0

6) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 21.0

7) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 21.11 – Pitchers hold more risk. There is no way around that, but at some point you have to shoot your shot. Rodriguez and Baz are two great pitchers to shoot your shot on.

8) Shane Baz TB, RHP, 22.3 – Talk of the baseball town after showing off his elite stuff on the MLB stage. He went 5 IP with 2 hits, 2 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB vs. Toronto yesterday. The fastball sat 96.9 MPH and his slider dominated with a 50% whiff% and 40% usage rate.

9) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 23.8

Tier 3

10) Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.8

11) Noelvi Marte SEA, OF, 19.11

12) Vidal Brujan TB, 2B, 23.8

13) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 20.5 – It took him 14 games to hit his first homer this year, and then he didn’t take a breath as he smashed 27 homers in 95 games the rest of the way

14) Marco Luciano SF, SS, 20.0 – Never turned it on at High-A, struggling to the very end with a .542 OPS and 17 K’s in 13 games in September

15) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 18.8 – It wasn’t a perfect season, but he ended up an above average hitter as an 18 year old in full season ball with a 105 wRC+

16) Luis Matos SF, OF, 19.7 – Closed the season on a homer binge with 3 homers in his last 7 games. It gives him a respectable 15 homers on the season in 109 games

17) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.1

18) Robert Hassell SD, OF, 20.1 – K% jumped to 28.7% at High-A in 18 games, but the power jumped with it with a 48.1% FB% and 4 homers

19) Hunter Greene CIN, RHP, 22.2 – He may have hit a wall at the end of the season after pitching the most innings of his career by far (106.1 IP) with a 5.23 ERA and 19/8 K/BB in his last 20.2 IP

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 466 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-Off-season content: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

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

Patreon Post: Top 465 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

I’m finishing the season strong with the final Updated Dynasty Baseball Rankings before I go over 1,000 deep this off-season. Here is the Top 465 September 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 316 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-Off-season content: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

1) Shohei Ohtani LAA, RHP/DH, 27.2 – I’ve officially run out of shit to say for him. I’m speechless (written word less?)

2) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 22.9 – Announced in this interview that his move to the outfield is temporary and he isn’t planning on getting off-season shoulder surgery. He’s attempted only 1 steal in his last 18 games since returning from his latest shoulder injury. I think it is fair to wonder if he will continue to be more cautious on the base paths moving forward.

3) Vlad Guerrero Jr. TOR, 1B, 22.6 – Had been slumping a bit with a .672 OPS in 26 games from Aug 3-29, but he broke out of it in a big way with 4 homers in his last 7 games.

4) Juan Soto WASH, OF, 22.11 – .505 OBP post all star break.

5) Ronald Acuna ATL, OF, 23.9

6) Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 23.6 – Has only been caught stealing once all year in 22 attempts

7) Trea Turner LAD, SS, 28.2

8) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 23.9 – Hasn’t struck out a single time in his last 37 PA and has a .818 SLG over that time

9) Ozzie Albies ATL, 2B, 24.8 – Homered in 3 straight games and has 9 homers in his last 23 games.

10) Luis Robert CHW, OF, 24.1 – 16.8% K% since returning is insanely encouraging. He’s also smacked 6 homers in those 21 games

11) Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.6 – Homer and steal totals aren’t huge with 7 homers and 2 steals in 59 games, but trading a 20-year-old Franco for one of the 28 year olds ranked after him seems like a decision you will regret pretty quickly.

12) Bryce Harper PHI, OF, 28.10 – Smoked 13 homers in his last 38 games

13) Mookie Betts LAD, OF, 28.11 – .667 OPS in his last 11 games since returning from right hip inflammation

14) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 28.10 – Picked up the pace on the bases with 9 steals in his last 26 games

15) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 24.10

16) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 30.1

17) Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 24.2

18) Corbin Burnes MIL, RHP, 26.11

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 316 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

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

Patreon Post: Top 314 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I was very strict with my definition of a prospect in this one. Any player currently in the majors was excluded. Here is the Top 314 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 422 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)

1) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.2 – He destroyed Spring Training. He obliterated Double-A. He’s annihilating Triple-A. MLB … you’re next

2) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 20.8 – Plate approach has been better than Witt’s in the minors, so I might lean Julio in a league where speed is devalued, but Witt’s speed puts him over the top in a 5×5.

3) Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.10 – Strikeout rate has improved tremendously in his last 25 games at Double-A with a 22.4%/14.3% K%/BB%. He’s only 7 for 11 in stolen base attempts in 73 games on the year, so while he will contribute in stolen bases, he may not get close to 20

4) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 20.11 – With Tatis playing outfield, it now looks like the shortstop position is Abrams to lose in the long run.

5) Marco Luciano SF, SS, 19.11 – Strikeout rate has spiked to 42.9% in 17 games at High-A, but we’ve seen Luciano play this game before at a new level. Fool me once …

6) Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 22.0– First six games at Triple-A have been rough with a 8/0 K/BB and a .465 OPS. Even if he doesn’t end up dominating the level by the end of the season (and I think he will), it’s been a hell of a year in his first year of pro ball.

7) Riley Greene DET, OF, 20.11 – Strikeouts are a concern with his K% rising to 38.5% at Triple-A (27.3% at Double-A), but considering his age relative to level, that should come down over time.

8) Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.7 – Continued to kill it in August, slashing .400/.467/.631 in 17 games.

9) Vidal Brujan TB, 2B, 23.7 – He hasn’t hit single homer since being sent back down, but he’s been an absolute hit machine with a 7.8% K% and .352 BA in 23 games. He also has a 13.6% BB% and 17 stolen bases over that time.

10) Noelvi Marte SEA, OF, 19.10 – He might be ready for a promotion as he’s ripped up Single-A in August with a .965 OPS and 8 steals in 18 games

11) Luis Matos SF, OF, 19.6 – He’s powering up with 9 homers in his last 49 games

12) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 23.7 – Hasn’t missed a beat at Triple-A, maintaining his near elite 15.2% K% and putting up a 162 wRC+ in 10 games

13) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.0 – I’m seeing him being traded for a mighty reasonable price. The shoulder injury seems to have created a buying opportunity.

14) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 21.10 – He always seems to have a bad start right before I update these rankings. He gave up 5 earned in 3.2 IP on Sunday, but he has continued to dominate the level with a 2.92 ERA (2.67 xFIP). I can see pushing Rodriguez up to as high as 9th on this list if you prefer the pitcher.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT THE REST OF THE SEASON AND ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-Top 422 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)

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

Patreon Post: Top 422 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

The trade deadline is approaching in many leagues and now is your last chance to make any last minute deals to fine tune that championship roster, or plan ahead for 2022. Here is the Top 422 August 2021 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS MORE, INCLUDING:
-Top 300 July 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)

1) Shohei Ohtani LAA, RHP/DH, 27.1 – Ohtani is making himself at home in this top spot. He actually managed to improve on the sole thing he was struggling with, his control, as he walked only 2 batters in his last 19 IP since last month’s update. He is so miraculous, I’m half expecting him to turn 26 years old next year. But seriously, even being four and a half years older than his main competition for this top stop, I’m not sure how you can turn down this level of all category production.

2) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 22.7 – I wrote that the shoulder injury was “still in the back of my mind” on the July rankings, and it is now in the front of everyone’s mind with Tatis going down with a shoulder injury yet again. It looks as if he is going to try to gut through it this year, possibly as an outfielder, and then I wouldn’t be surprised if he underwent off-season surgery (but that is pure speculation based on zero medical knowledge).

3) Vlad Guerrero Jr. TOR, 1B, 22.5 – Only has an .888 OPS in the last month. It’s all falling apart :). Vlad gets the slight nod over Soto because of the beastly lineup he hits in.

4) Juan Soto WASH, OF, 22.9 – That “inevitable monster 2nd half” I called for in the July rankings has arrived in force, as Soto has a 1.204 OPS in his last 22 games.

5) Ronald Acuna ATL, OF, 23.8 – Tore his ACL and will be out for at least the rest of the this season, and who knows how much it cuts into his 2022 season. It is also fair to question if he will take it easy on the base paths when he does return. If non competing in a 5×5, I likely still rank him above Vlad and Soto.

6) Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 23.5 – The pure hitting numbers, both surface and underlying, aren’t necessarily elite, but the guy is a machine in a 5×5 league with 20 homers, 17 steals, and a .293 BA. He’s still only 23 years old, and I’m betting that his best is yet to come.

7) Trea Turner LAD, SS, 28.1 – He’s gunning for a 30/30 season and he now sits atop the Dodgers’ lineup.

8) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 23.8 – I hope you stayed patient through his April struggles because the underlying numbers didn’t lie as Tucker continues to explode with a .945 OPS post all star break. He’s an elite all category stud.

9) Bryce Harper PHI, OF, 28.9 – Harper’s BB% was sitting at a career low 12.9% in the last update and I mentioned it has nowhere to go but up, and up is exactly where it went as it now sits at 14.6%.

10) Mookie Betts LAD, OF, 28.10 – Hip injury has been a thorn in Betts’ side all season, but he was exploding when he was on the field with a 1.415 OPS in his last 13 games.

11) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 28.9 – Quietly putting together another elite fantasy season. He is running at his lowest rate since 2017, and as he approaches his 30’s, I think you have to expect that to continue.

12) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 24.9 – BB% continues to rise as he’s walked 13 times in his last 21 games to bring his career best mark up to 9.6%

13) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 30.0 – The big 3 – 0 is here and Trout was fittingly sitting on the IL for his birthday due to this calf injury that just won’t heal. It hurts me to do it, but father time is undefeated, and he slides out of my top 10

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS MORE, INCLUDING:
-Top 300 July 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-Tons of Dynasty Rundowns

-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)

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

Patreon Post: Top 300 July 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I was very strict with my definition of a prospect in this one. Any player currently in the majors was excluded. Here is the Top 300 July 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS MORE, INCLUDING:
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

1) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 20.7 – With Wander and Kelenic under fire in the bigs, Julio takes the top spot in the calm waters that is the minors. His transition to Double-A has been seamless with a 146 wRC+

2) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.1 – If prospect rankings could have ties, Julio and Witt would be tied for first, but the only rule of prospect rankings is that there are no ties, so Witt slides in at #2. He didn’t take long to show off the power/speed combo at Triple-A with 2 homers, 1 double and 1 steal and in his first 6 games at the level.

3) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 20.10 – Fractured tibia and sprained MCL ended his season. Doesn’t have Julio or Witt’s power, but he beats them in speed and batting average.

4) Marco Luciano SF, SS, 19.11 – Currently day to day with minor shoulder discomfort. Plate approach hasn’t declined at all in full season ball with a 21.3%/12.1% K%/BB% and neither has his power with 16 bombs in 64 games

5) Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 21.11– Bashed 9 homers with a 20.7%/13.3% K%/BB% in 33 games at Double-A

6) Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.9 – 32% K% is a bit high at Double-A, but everything else is there with 9 homers and a 12.6% BB% in 42 games

7) Riley Greene DET, OF, 20.10 – Putting up  a 125 wRC+ at Double-A with speed (11 steals), but a 28.5% K% is on the high side

8) Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.6 – Power exploded with all 11 of his homers coming in his last 29 games. He added the power to a plus plate approach (23.9%/13.8% K%/BB%) and speed (27 steals)

9) Vidal Brujan TB, 2B, 23.6 – Has hit only 2 homers in his last 36 Triple-A games since his early season homer binge. Wasn’t given a real shot in his MLB debut

10) Noelvi Marte SEA, OF, 19.9 – Cooled off in his last 22 games with a .580 OPS, but he’s been strong overall with a 113 wRC+ in full season ball

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS MORE, INCLUDING:
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

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

Patreon Post: Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 1-450

These OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Rankings are for leagues where speed is devalued and the value of good real life hitters who get on base and hit for power are juiced up. It still isn’t a perfect ranking (is there such thing as a perfect dynasty ranking?), but I believe it is helpful in a universal sense for points leagues and category leagues too that play with OBP, or add in a 6th or 7th hitting category. Here is the July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings: 1-450:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND MUCH MORE, INCLUDING:
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

1) Shohei Ohtani LAA, RHP/DH, 27.0 – Living legend. He has an elite power/speed combo in the box (31 homers and 12 steals) and an elite strikeout rate on the mound (30.7%). He’s truly the first elite all category player in the history of fantasy baseball (except for saves/holds obviously).

2) Ronald Acuna ATL, OF, 23.7 – The major strikeout gains he made earlier in the year didn’t stick as Acuna has a 30% K% in his last 51 games.

3) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 22.6 – Shoulder injury is still in the back of my mind which is where it belongs as long as he keeps putting up insane production

4) Vlad Guerrero Jr. TOR, 1B, 22.4 – 95.3 MPH exit velocity is 2nd best in the league behind Aaron Judge. Machado is #3 at 93.8 MPH. With these rankings devaluing speed, I was tempted to put Vlad #2, but Acuna and Tatis have the longer track record.

5) Juan Soto WASH, OF, 22.8 – Surface stats aren’t elite (.853 OPS), but the underlying numbers are (.422 xwOBA). His inevitable monster 2nd half has already started with homers in his last 2 games. Flip a coin between Soto and Vlad.

6) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 29.11 – On track to return shortly after the all-star break. He’s getting a little long in the tooth (which I just learned derived from the fact horse teeth grow as they age), and has been injury prone, but he’s elite when healthy.

7) Bryce Harper PHI, OF, 28.8 – 12.9% BB% is actually a career low, which means he has nowhere to go but up, and he’s been damn good as is with a .416 xwOBA.

8) Mookie Betts LAD, OF, 28.9 – Underwhelming year with a .809 OPS. Whiff% (18.3%) and sprint speed (27.3 ft/sec) are career worsts

9) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 28.8 – Career best 91.2 MPH exit velocity and .388 xwOBA

10) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 24.8 – Career best 8.2% BB% and is still smoking the ball with a 93 MPH exit velocity

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND MUCH MORE, INCLUDING:
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

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

Patreon Post: Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

Welcome to Prospects Week at Imaginary Brick Wall! I was very lenient on my definition of a prospect on this one, including everyone under the rookie threshold. 2021/22 FYPD guys are also included. Here is the Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, INCLUDING UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS, TOP 50 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKINGS, DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND OTHER COOL STUFF I THINK UP ALONG THE WAY!

1) Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.4 – The Man, The Myth, The Legend. The one we only speak about in whispers. His time has come.

2) Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 21.1 – His time came … and went. We speak his name out loud now. (You already know how I feel about Kelenic. Go get him.)

3) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 20.5

4) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.0 – Power has exploded with 11 homers and a 51.4% FB% in 38 games at Double-A. K% is down to a reasonable 25.6%

5) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 20.8

6) Vidal Brujan TB, 2B, 23.4

7) Noelvi Marte SEA, OF, 19.8

8) Marco Luciano SF, SS, 19.9 – Shook off his slow start and is now slashing .316/.402/.605 with 5 homers and a 24/16 K/BB in his last 30 games.

9) Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 21.9 – Like Luciano, Tork shook off his early season struggles and is now destroying Double-A with a 158 wRC+ and 11.5% K% in 6 games.

10) Luis Matos SF, OF, 19.4 – 13.3% K% is elite and more power is coming with a 44.2% FB%. Tack on speed with 13 steals and I’m not sure why he isn’t considered elite everywhere.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, INCLUDING UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS, TOP 50 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKINGS, DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND OTHER COOL STUFF I THINK UP ALONG THE WAY!

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

Patreon Post: 2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

With the 2021 MLB Draft quickly approaching, it’s time to get excited for the new wave of talent that is about to hit pro ball. All of these players will be included in my deep prospects rankings coming later this month. Here is the 2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, INCLUDING UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS, A DEEP PROSPECTS RANKING COMING LATER THIS MONTH, DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND OTHER COOL STUFF I THINK UP ALONG THE WAY!

1) Jordan Lawlar HS, SS, 18.11, 6’2”, 185 – Lawlar has a relatively simple, quick swing that he uses to make tons of contact with the ability to lift the ball. He has plus speed and the power should develop naturally to above average at the least. Plus SS defense combined with the plus hit tool gives him a safe floor, and the upside is considerable. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 91/22/84/.279/.348/.468/20

2) Marcelo Mayer HS, SS, 18.6, 6’3”, 188 – Mayer stays loose and easy in his stance before unleashing a vicious lefty swing that has monster offensive potential written all over it. He doesn’t have Lawlar’s speed, giving Lawlar the edge in 5×5, but in points and 6+ category leagues he is right there with him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 91/25/93/.284/.354/.484/8

3) Kahlil Watson HS, SS, 18.2, 5’11”, 168 – Watson’s upside is high as anyone’s in the draft with lightening quick bat speed and a plus power/speed combo from the left side. His bat isn’t quite as proven as Lawlar and Mayer, but he has shown a good feel to hit with an advanced plate approach and emerging power. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 85/25/85/.263/.332/.474/16

4) Jack Leiter SEC, RHP, 21.3, 6’0”, 195 – Leiter can dominate with just his mid 90’s fastball, but he also has a deep repertoire of pitches, throwing a 4-seamer, 2-seamer, cutter, curve (best secondary), slider and change. He understands the art of pitching which is no surprise considering his dad is Al Leiter. He’s only 6 feet, and his control can waver, but it hasn’t stopped him from putting up a dominant pitching line of 2.16/0.85/156/41 in 96 IP.  ETA: 2022 Prime Projection: 15/3.42/1.17/218 in 185 IP

Strategy discussion – I always preach gunning for that elite upside when drafting at the top of a FYPD. That is your chance to find that all category stud who can carry your fantasy squad. The 3 shortstops at the top of these rankings all have that elite upside. Leiter was #1 overall on the first edition of these rankings, and I still believe he has true ace upside with a major proximity advantage, so if you already have a young, stacked offensive core, I can see pivoting to Leiter. But if you don’t have that young hitting core, I would lean towards building up that area of your team first before looking at pitching.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, INCLUDING UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS, A DEEP PROSPECTS RANKING COMING LATER THIS MONTH, DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND OTHER COOL STUFF I THINK UP ALONG THE WAY!

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