Posted on by Michael Halpern

2017 MLB Rookie Watch: Week 1

I just can’t let these guys go quite yet. This season, I’m planning on keeping track of how the 2017 rookies’ skills are translating against MLB pitching. It will also give me an opportunity to gloat a little bit on my hits, and beat myself up on my misses. Here is the 2017 MLB Rookie Watch: Week 1:

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – Many of the mainstream prospect writers have been doubting Benintendi’s power all off-season, calling it moderate and topping him out at 20. It is the same reason he fell to #7 in the MLB Draft, and the same reason he wasn’t in anybody’s 2016 top 10 overall prospects except mine. But Benintendi is out to prove the doubters wrong early, absolutely crushing a Gerrit Cole 97 MPH fastball over the right field fence. Just watch how fast the ball jumps off his bat, and you quickly realize judging his power based on his size is silly.

Ronald Torreyes NYY, SS – Benintendi is a barrel-chested beast compared to Torreyes, who stands 5’8’’, 151 pounds, but it didn’t stop him from running into a homer of his own. This picture of Aaron Judge congratulating him at home plate is an absolute classic, and truly a reminder to not let anybody tell you that you can’t do something. Of course, in reality, Judge is probably at more of a disadvantage in baseball than Torreyes, as I’m pretty sure baseball is the only sport to adjust the rules based on how tall you are.

Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Speaking of Judge, he has looked very comfortable at the plate in the early going, and has been making good hard contact. There were a few pitches he missed by just a hair that had Paul O’Neill cooing in the booth. I’m expecting good things in the near future.

Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Calmly laced an opposite field single vs. Noah Syndergaard. It was Jeter-like. There is nothing that truly stands out about Swanson’s offensive profile, but it sure seems like he is going to be very productive. Or maybe he will hit .250 and just look good doing it.

Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – Not technically a rookie, but still kinda rookie-ish, Gallo showed off his no joke 80 grade power by placing a Carlos Carrasco offering into the last rows of the upper deck. If you want to see bat speed, launch angle, and exit velocity, just watch that swing over and over again.

Manuel Margot SD, OF – Showing off his skills early as well, collecting 3 hits in 8 at-bats and swiping his first bag. I question how high the batting average is going to be in his first MLB season, but I have no questions about the plus speed.

Jesus Aguilar MIL, 1B – Took his first start away from Eric Thames and capitalized with a 1 for 2 day and an RBI. He got only two at-bats, and it looks like it could be awhile before getting starts vs. righties, but he is worth a stream every time Milwaukee faces a lefty.

JaCoby Jones DET, OF – Doesn’t get much better than a homer and steal to drive the nail home on that starting centerfield job. I’m still concerned there isn’t enough power or speed to overcome a low average, but he has plenty of upside to prove me wrong.

Mitch Haniger SEA, OF – 4 strikeouts in his first 9 plate attempts. It goes without saying that everything is a miniscule sample size, but thought it was worth mentioning considering his Spring Training stats were a driving force in his increasing draft price as Opening Day approached. I took a shot on Haniger very late in a couple leagues, and surely plan on holding for now.

Jacob Barnes MIL, RHP – One of my favorite relief pitcher sleepers this year, Barnes got off to a good start by pitching one clean inning with a strikeout. He was among the league leaders in whiff rate in his 26.2 IP last year, while also putting up a pitching of 2.70/1.13/26. He has prototypical closer’s stuff with mid 90’s heat and a slider that is pushing 90 MPH. Watch for Barnes to rise in Milwaukee’s pen as the year goes on.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Thursday Afternoon Monday Morning Minor League Prospect Rundown

In honor of one of my favorite comedians, Bill Burr, I decided to name this new weekly segment the Thursday Afternoon Monday Morning Minor League Prospect Rundown. It will be about half the size as my usual Monday Morning Rundown, but twice the fun (probably not). Here is the Thursday Afternoon Monday Morning Minor League Prospect Rundown:

Aaron Judge NYY, OF – It looked the Yanks were going to revert to their old ways for a second there, but in a moment of clarity, they finally named Judge their starting right fielder. He surely deserved it after slashing .345/.406/.569 in Spring, and more importantly, striking out only 20.3% of the time. I ranked him 23rd overall on my Top 200, and 1st on my New York Yankees Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings.

Rookie Davis CIN, RHP – Like Billy Beane in Moneyball, or Andrew Friedman in The Extra 2%, Brian Cashman struck gold when he brilliantly discovered a new market inefficiency, Domestic Violence. He stole Aroldis Chapman from Cincinnati under the cover of darkness, flipped him for one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball, and then re-signed him to a long-term deal in the off-season. You see kids, having morals just doesn’t pay. All Cincy is left with is a back end starter, but I’m sure their fans will still show up and buy tickets to support their morally superior franchise anyway.

Yandy Diaz CLE, 3B – When I didn’t list Diaz as one of my favorite 2017 Rookie/Prospect Sleepers in yesterday’s post, one of my Twitter followers, Barry Baker, sent me along this message and picture. Not gonna lie, I’m kinda rethinking it now. He also smacked his 3rd Spring homer yesterday, which continued his dominant Spring. Consider this me running alongside the Diaz bangwagon, trying to find an opening to hop on.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – After putting up a 1.87 ERA in 20 starts last year at Triple-A, Glasnow really doesn’t have much more to prove down there, and it seems like Pittsburgh is leaning towards letting him figure out his inconsistent control on the MLB level. Nothing is official, and Trevor Williams is still in the mix, but if Glasnow locks down the job, I would look to pick him up in re-draft leagues of all sizes. His upside is unmatched, and there will always be safer options waiting to be picked up on the waiver wire. I always shoot for the moon on early season pick-ups.

Luis Severino NYY, RHP – Won the 4th starter job, but I really didn’t see anything much different from him this Spring than I did last year. He is obviously worth a pick up based on raw talent alone, but I’m personally staying away until he proves it, especially in the AL East.

Daniel Norris DET, LHP – Going through a “dead arm” period, and while it is easy to dismiss, things seem to keep popping up with him.

Dylan Unsworth SEA, RHP – Once upon a time, Doug Fister was an upper 80’s throwing, control master Seattle prospect who got zero respect until he came up to the Majors and had nothing but success right from the get go. Unsworth is following in that path. He has a career MiLB walk rate of 1.2 BB/9, and with a 7.7 K/9, it’s not like he can’t miss bats either. Unsworth is an excellent deep league sleeper.

Jacob May CHW, OF/JaCoby Jones DET, INF/OF – Allow me to introduce your by default centerfielders for the rebuilding Chicago White Sox and transitioning Detroit Tigers. May has already been named the starter and Jones is probably not far behind. At the least, Jones will fill in while JD Martinez is on the DL. I put my full trust in both of these guys to absolutely tank your batting average.

Albert Almora Jr. CHC, OF – Heavily overshadowed by just about every single one of Chicago’s young stars, both Majors and Minors, Almora is looking to change that this year, and has started by completely destroying Spring Training pitching. He finished the Spring by hitting .339 with 4 homers and 2 steals in 62 at-bats, and should get the majority of playing time in centerfield.

Steven Matz NYM, LHP – Shut down for the next 3 weeks and was given a platelet plasma rich injection. The MRI looked great though. And yes, every time someone from my Post-Tommy John Surgery Death Zone so much as gets an itch on their elbow, I will be there to tell you about it 😉

Washington Closer Update: Much like how most things run in Washington, days of gridlock and consternation has lead to a worst of all worlds compromise. Neither the progressives (Koda Glover), nor conservatives (Shawn Kelley) got their way, and now we are all left holding the bag with Blake Treinen.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

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)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2017 Top 200 Dynasty/Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings: 1-25

Prospects season is finally here, and I am ramping it up to a top 200 this year. After 100, I will take a breath and put out a traditional top 100 list, but then I am continuing on. There are just too many legitimately exciting prospects to stop at 100. Consider this more like Prospect Hanukkah rather than Prospect Christmas, because this ranking is gonna be a slow burner. Let’s get started:

Click here for the complete Top 200

*Prime Projection: R/HR/RBI/AVG/OBP/SLG/SB

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) Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Flashed his considerable upside by going 46 IP, 8 ER, 33 Hits, 23 BB, 52 K in his MLB debut. Still some control/command risk. Prime Projection: 3.21/1.19/228 in 208 IP ETA: 2017 Opening Day

6) 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

7) 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

8) 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

9) 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

10) 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

11) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Austin Meadows 2.0. Prime Projection: 94/21/86/.286/.357/.482/16 ETA: 2018/19

12) 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

13) 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

14) 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

15) 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

16) 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

17) 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

18) 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

19) Jose DeLeon LAD, RHP – Fly-ball pitcher with one of the best fastball/changeup combos in the minors. Gopheritis is the biggest risk. Prime Projection: 3.41/1.16/208 in 190 IP ETA: Mid 2017

20) 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

21) 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

22) 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

23) 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

24) 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

25) 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

Click here for the complete Top 200

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2017 Top 10 New York Yankees Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings

Imaginary Brick Wall was one of the only publications to have Gary Sanchez ranked #1 overall in the New York Yankees farm system coming into 2016. When I say “Imaginary Brick Wall,” of course, I mean me. And when I say “publication,” I mean this here blog. I’m just trying to class this joint up a little bit. Baseball America, Fangraphs, and MLB.com all had Jorge Mateo #1. Baseball Prospectus, ESPN, and Prospect361 went with Aaron Judge. I only mention those other websites due to how much I respect them, not to denigrate them. But nanny nanny poo poo … I beat them.  Let’s give them another shot to take the crown this year, as I’m going to make this New York Yankees prospect ranking an annual thing. Here is the 2017 Top 10 New York Yankees Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings:

1) Aaron Judge OF – The 44% K rate in his MLB debut have people jumping ship faster than Jack and Rose did from the Titanic. Incidentally, Judge is about the size of the Titanic, and in fairness to the ones jumping ship, that scary K rate just might be the tip of the iceberg. I guess in this analogy that makes me the weird violinist who is pretending all is well. But Judge struggled in his promotion to Triple-A in 2015 too, before slashing .270/.366/.489 with 19 homers and a 98/47 K/BB in 93 games there this season. He has shown an ability to make adjustments against more advanced pitching. And you have to remember that all of New York’s minor league affiliates are pitcher’s parks in pitcher’s leagues. Judge had the 4th highest OPS in the entire International League. He also displayed his monster raw power, exit velocity, and plate discipline in the Majors even with the strikeouts, and should have the RF job locked up coming out of Spring Training. I ranked Judge 25th in my End of Season Top 35 Fantasy Prospect Rankings.

2) Clint Frazier OF – Frazier is one Brett Gardner/Jacoby Ellsbury trade away from joining Judge in the Yankees corner outfield for years to come. He probably needs more work at Triple-A anyway, as he put up a .657 OPS with a 36/7 K/BB in his 30 game end of season promotion there. The elite bat speed is his number one tool on the field. The elite red hair is his number one tool off it. I ranked Frazier 26th in my End of Season Top 35 Prospect Rankings.

3) Gleyber Torres SS – Torres will likely be the Yankees #1 ranked prospect in most of those aforementioned publications. His performance in the Arizona Fall League had scouts absolutely buzzing, as he slashed a ridiculous .403/.513/.645 with 3 homers and 4 steals in 18 games. While he is not projected to hit for monster power or rack up crazy steal totals, he should be a legitimate five category producer who can stick at shortstop. Whether he does stick at shortstop with Didi in town remains to be seen. I ranked Torres 34th in my End of Season Top 35 Fantasy Prospect Rankings.

4) Jorge Mateo SS/2B – It was not a good year for Mateo. He saw his numbers take a dip at High-A and was suspended 2 weeks for whining about not being called up to Double-A when he wanted to be called up. Even his stolen bases dropped from 82 in 2015 to 36 this season, and barring a trade, it is looking less and less likely that Mateo will stick at shortstop. Having said that, his raw talent and plus, plus speed are still there, so it is more likely this season was just a bump in the road rather than a representation of his true talent level. Prime Projection: 86/12/60/.269/.321/.396/33
ETA: Mid-season 2018. What team and position is anyone’s guess.

5) Justus Sheffield LHP – I think Sheffield has gotten a little overshadowed by Frazier, but he may end up being the real prize from that Andrew Miller trade, especially in real life. He pitched solid all year in High-A as a true 20-year-old with a 3.19 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 8.9 K/9. He then closed his year out in impressive fashion by going 4 IP, 2 Hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K against Double-A Reading in their wind tunnel of a stadium, helping to hold their impressive middle of the order (Alfaro, Cozens, Hoskins) to a 2 for 11 day. There is video of that entire start if you are interested. Prime Projection: 3.48/1.23/184 in 188 IP
ETA: Mid-season 2018. Wouldn’t be crazy to see him get a cup of coffee in September this year.

6) Blake Rutherford OF – I would like to see more age appropriate production before fully jumping on the Rutherford bandwagon for fantasy. The traditional scouts seem to be in love with the kid, so maybe I’m just being too conservative. I ranked Rutherford 22nd on my Top 40 Dynasty First Year Player Draft Rankings.

7) James Kaprielian RHP – Kaprielian’s velocity ticked up in pro ball after being drafted 16th overall in the 2015 draft and then he promptly got injured. The extra velocity seemed to turn him into an absolute beast, though, as he racked up the strikeouts when he did manage to take the mound. His injury risk and lack of an extended professional resume is concerning, but the pitch repertoire of a mid-90’s fastball, wipeout slider, slow curve, and changeup from a polished college starter is hard to pass up. Prime Projection: 3.59/1.25/167 in 174 IP
ETA: Could see a late season call up this year, but more likely to get his first extended action in 2018.

8) Dustin Fowler OF – Fowler might be one of the more underrated power/speed combo prospects going right now. As a 21-year-old in Double-A he put up a .281/.311/.458 triple-slash with 12 homers, 30 doubles, 15 triples, and 25 steals in 132 games. He has excellent raw tools and a smooth lefty swing that is geared for both average and power. He walked only 3.8% of the time, so there is still work to do, but he made contact at a high clip too (15% K%). I’m tempted to rank Fowler higher, and I may when I come out with my Top 100 this off-season. Prime Projection: 73/17/70/.270/.306/.420/18
ETA: 2018. Yanks are stacked in the outfield right now so it is really impossible to know how it is all going to shake out. His ability to stick in CF will also play a big role.

9) Dillon Tate RHP – Tate dominated in his first two starts of the season before suffering a hamstring injury. When he returned, his stuff just wasn’t the same and he got smacked around the rest of the way. The Yanks still took a chance on him in the Carlos Beltran trade, and it looks like it might pay off as he was back to hitting mid-90’s with a wipeout slider in the Arizona Fall League. He has a long way to go to recover the prospect shine that made him the 4th overall pick in the 2015 draft, but I wouldn’t count him out yet. Prime Projection: 3.72/1.27/165 in 182 IP
ETA: See James Kaprielian

10) Miguel Andujar 3B – Andujar has been on the radar of hardcore Yankees prospect fans since 2011 when he was a highly touted international signing. He finally broke out a bit this year at High-A where he slashed .283/.343/.474 with 10 homers and a 30/18 K/BB in 58 games. He struggled in his promotion to Double-A, but still more or less maintained his underlying hitting skills. I think there is a decent chance the Yanks use him as trade bait in the next couple years. Prime Projection: 68/19/74/.277/.330/.434/5
ETA: 2018

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Complete End of Season Top 35 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings

Top 100 season is not until early February, but nobody said anything about doing a top 35. Without further ado, here are the 2016 End of Season Top 35 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings:

1) Yoan Moncada BOS, 3B/2B – Struggled with contact in his first 20 MLB PA (60% K rate!), but has unmatched 5-category upside. Prime Projection: 108/22/85/.275/.362/.479/30
ETA: Will likely compete for 3B job in Spring Training. Worst case scenario he is the next man up at Triple-A.

2) Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – Not gonna lie, it hurts a little bit as a Yankees fan that the top two players on this list are both Red Sox. Only silver lining is that I’m really happy Boston fired the guy who built this Red Sox team and farm system. Prime Projection: 93/21/97/.300/.367/.477/11
ETA: Three months ago

3) Brendan Rodgers COL, SS/2B – Power showed up this year with 19 homers in 110 games at Single-A. OPS was much higher at home than on the road (.978 vs. .682) but I just call that good ole’ fashioned practice for Coors Field. Prime Projection: 89/27/103/.281/.338/.495/7
ETA: Cup of coffee in 2018. DJ LaMahieu will be a free agent after the 2018 season, so Rodgers looks to have a wide open spot in 2019, either at 2B, or at SS with Trevor Story moving to 2nd.

4) Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Averaged 96.8 MPH on his fastball in his MLB debut, to go along with a plus curveball and an 88 MPH changeup that looks more like a normal pitcher’s two seam fastball. If you watched his Futures Game performance, you realized this was a man against boys. Prime Projection: 3.18/1.18/237 in 204 IP
ETA: Will compete for a starting job in Spring Training, but St. Louis hasn’t been afraid to use their top pitching prospects in relief during their rookie season.

5) Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – If you’ve waited this long for Giolito, you are not about to give up now. He had an up and down year in the minors and got hit around in the majors, but the plus fastball/curveball combo is still intact. Prime Projection: 3.25/1.15/217 in 209 IP
ETA: Washington has good rotation depth, so he will likely start the season in Triple-A before the inevitable injuries/ineffectiveness opens a rotation spot for him.

6) Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Glasnow and Giolito are basically tied for me, but gave the edge to Giolito because Glasnow’s 5.2 BB/9 is one huge red flag. His stuff is unhittable, so once he learns to repeat his delivery and improve his command, the sky is the limit. Prime Projection: 3.15/1.19/222 in 200 IP
ETA: Will depend on free agent signings, but the door is wide open for him to win a rotation spot out of Spring Training.

7) Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Safe 5-category production from the SS position. Was one at-bat short of losing rookie eligibility, slashing .302/.361/.442 with 3 homers and 3 steals in 129 MLB at-bats. Prime Projection: 89/18/83/.282/.346/.458/16
ETA: 10 weeks ago

8) Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Working through an orbital bone fracture in the beginning of the season and hamstring injury mid-year, Meadows still managed to significantly up his power output and slash a respectable .266/.333/.536 with 12 homers and 17 steals in 87 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. Andrew McCutchen is the only thing between him and a starting job. Prime Projection: 96/20/86/.293/.351/.470/14
ETA: In a classic prospect blocked situation. It will take a trade, injury, or NL DH to get him in the lineup.

9) Victor Robles WASH, OF – The 19-year-old Robles slowed down a bit at High-A after dominating Single-A, but he still flashed 5-category upside that only Moncada can top right now. Prime Projection: 96/16/77/.289/.339/.449/30
ETA: Type of prospect that can be up in a hurry. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was starting sometime in 2018.

10) A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – Rough MLB debut was a major bummer (.532 OPS), but if it’s any consolation, he did rake in the PCL (.924 OPS). I’m still fully on board with him becoming a big time power hitter, it just might not happen as quickly as I originally hoped. Prime Projection: 79/30/100/.269/.351/.499/1
ETA: Will have to earn playing time with a Houston franchise that is stacked with talented hitters. Has ability to carve out an everyday role vs. righties in 2017, but may struggle to find at-bats vs. lefties. Should have an everyday 1B/DH job available in 2018 if he performs.

11) Lewis Brinson MIL, OF – Struggled in the first half due to a shoulder injury, but exploded in the PCL after being traded to Milwaukee. Plate approach took a step back this season, so Milwaukee’s new front office will have to prove they are as good at developing talent as they are at acquiring it. Prime Projection: 82/24/86/.262/.329/.473/17
ETA: Could win the CF job of out Spring Training, but likely needs a few more months of seasoning at Triple-A.

12) Jose De Leon LAD, RHP – Biggest concern is that he will be too homer prone, and giving up 5 homers in his first 17 MLB IP did not exactly alleviate those concerns. He did dominate in the PCL with a pitching line of 2.61/0.94/111 in 86.1 IP. Prime Projection: 3.41/1.16/208 in 190 IP
ETA: MLB ready, but Los Angeles has a number of different rotation options. Working him in as a long man/2-3 inning reliever next season isn’t out of the question.

13) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Couldn’t overcome possibly the worst pitching conditions in professional baseball, Colorado Springs, but absolutely destroyed Double-A earlier in the year. Maintained his nasty, strikeout stuff all season. Prime Projection: 3.34/1.18/196 in 185 IP
ETA: Probably isn’t a great idea to send him back to that pitching hell hole, but Milwaukee has enough mediocre pitching options ahead of him that it might be inevitable for the first couple months of the season.

14) Raimel Tapia COL, OF – Elite hit tool with plus speed and a little power playing at Coors Field. Cut strikeouts almost in half this season too. Prime Projection: 92/14/70/.305/.333/.442/19
ETA: All 3 Colorado outfielders are injury prone (Dahl, Blackmon, Gonzalez), plus, Blackmon and Gonzalez are both candidates to be dealt this off-season. Worst case scenario, a full time gig should open up when Gonzalez’s contract runs out after this season.

15) Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – Strikeouts spiked at Triple-A (37% K% in 150 PA), but the explosive power/speed combo is too good to pass up. Prime Projection: 87/20/80/.255/.340/.453/24
ETA: Clearly needs more work at Triple-A. Should still be able to debut at some point next season, likely in the 2nd half.

16) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Repeated in Double-A and Triple-A what he did in A-Ball last year. Contact issues remain, but like Zimmer, the power/speed combo is an enticing one for fantasy. Prime Projection: 81/23/85/.259/.342/.459/17
ETA: Fisher and Zimmer are almost prospect doppelgangers right now. Like Zimmer, he should debut sometime in the 2nd half of 2017.

17) Nick Senzel CIN, 3B – I covered Senzel in my 2016/17 Top 40 Dynasty League First-Year Player Draft Rankings, but here is a cool video I found of him plowing into a catcher when he was 10 years old.  Prime Projection: 90/20/90/.282/.354/.469/14
ETA: Should be on the Bregman/Benintendi/Swanson timeline, which means he will show up in the 2nd half of next season.

18) Eloy Jimenez CHC, OF – The athletic 6’4’’, 205-pound Jimenez has the scouts drooling over him, and the stats at Single-A to back it up. Prime Projection: 85/28/96/.281/.335/.490/8
ETA: 2019. There is no obvious opening for him in Chicago, but a lot can change between now and when he will be big league ready, including the uniform he is wearing.

19) Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – I’ve been hyping O’Neill for about a year now, and the rest of the prospect world has finally caught up after he improved both his K% and BB% as a 21-year-old at Double-A. Prime Projection: 79/27/90/.265/.321/.480/9
ETA: Seattle’s mediocre OF options leaves the door wide open for him as soon as Seattle thinks he is ready. Could be as soon as June 2017, or as late as June 2018.

20) Zack Collins CHW, C – I covered Collins in my 2016/17 Top 40 Dynasty League First-Year Player Draft Rankings. Prime Projection: 78/26/87/.269/.364/.485/2
ETA: Should be on the same track to the bigs that I think Senzel will be on. Working on catcher defense could delay him a bit longer.

21) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Power started to emerge towards the end of the year, which tacked on to the advanced hit tool, plate approach, and surprising speed he displayed earlier in the season. Standing a lanky 6’4”, there is likely even more power coming down the line.  Prime Projection: 94/21/86/.286/.357/.468/16
ETA: 2019/2020. Houston is in no rush to call him up, and there is plenty of development time to go for the 19-year-old.

22) J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Continued to display an advanced plate approach despite being more than five years younger than his competition for most of the season. I understand being turned off by his lackluster home run and steal totals, but he is a sure bet to stick at SS and is knocking on the door of the bigs. Prime Projection: 96/13/62/.282/.371/.403/17
ETA: Freddy Galvis is keeping the seat warm until Crawford is ready, which should be sometime in the 2nd half of next season.

23) Tom Murphy COL, C – Ranked 32nd overall on my top 100 back in February, Murphy went on to easily handle the PCL (1.008 OPS in 303 at bats), and then did more of the same in his September cup of coffee (1.006 OPS in 44 at bats). He is going to strike out a lot, but Coors Field and his positional value gives him a major boost. Prime Projection: 70/27/85/.256/.312/.467/2
ETA: Starting job is his for the taking in 2017, but I would still expect some kind of time share with Tony Wolters.

24) Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B (kinda) – Has an almost unmatched combo of contact and power, cranking 27 homers with a 65/45 K/BB in 132 games at Double-A. Most of his power is to his pull side, so smart defenses will be able to limit his BABIP. Prime Projection: 78/26/89/.278/.324/.475/2
ETA: Defensive concerns make his ETA murky. Howie Kendrick’s contract is up after next season, so if Calhoun improves his defense to an acceptable level, he can be starting for Los Angeles as soon as 2018.

25) Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Strikeout rate exploded in the Majors, but has a history of struggling at a new level before making adjustments. His 6’7’’, 275-pound frame is both a gift and a curse when it comes to hitting a baseball. Prime Projection: 80/28/92/.254/.336/.474/6
ETA: 2017 Opening Day starting right fielder.

26) Clint Frazier NYY, OF – Struggled at Triple-A in 30 games, but handled his business at Double-A, slashing .276/.356/.469 with 13 homers and 13 steals in 89 games. Has legendary bat speed and Instagram game. Prime Projection: 84/23/86/.280/.343/.479/10
ETA: Definitely needs more development time at Triple-A, plus, there is no obvious spot for him as long as Gardner, Ellsbury, and McCann are still on the roster. Post trade deadline 2017, or early 2018 is my best guess.

27) Franklin Barreto OAK, SS/2B – Stat line doesn’t particularly stand out (.763 OPS), but his performance as a 20-year-old in a pitcher’s park at Double-A is a legitimate step forward. Sticking at SS would be a big help, but that isn’t a sure bet. Prime Projection: 89/17/81/.285/.337/.450/19
ETA: It sure seems like Oakland has their foot on the pedal with Barreto, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the 2nd half of next season. The more conservative estimate would be a few months into the 2018 season.

28) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Would have liked to see him take a step forward with his hit tool, but maintaining his homer/walk/strikeout profile as a 20-year-old at High-A will have to do. Prime Projection: 80/33/106/.250/.366/.510/3
ETA: 2019. Don’t think he will be fast tracked because there will likely be adjustments to make as he faces more advanced pitching in the upper minors.

29) Josh Bell PIT, 1B/OF – Power took a step forward this year while maintaining his plus hit tool. Looked strong in his MLB debut too, slashing .273/.368/.406. Prime Projection: 78/19/88/.288/.345/.458/4
ETA: Likely to get at bats at 1B and corner outfield this year, before taking over at 1B full time when John Jaso’s contract runs out after this season.

30) Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Maintained elite hit tool and plate approach in Triple-A. Power dropped off a cliff, but that can be blamed on battling a wrist injury all season. Prime Projection: 87/20/90/.292/.373/.487/4
ETA: Will probably begin the season in Triple-A and be the first OF up if/when one of the starters get hurt or struggles.

31) Ian Happ CHC, 2B/OF – Solid power/speed combo with a good plate approach, but has some contact issues. Is completely blocked in Chicago, and could be used as a super utility guy in his first few seasons. Prime Projection: 85/19/76/.273/.358/.447/13
ETA: Late season call up next year before slowly being worked into the lineup in 2018.

32) Hunter Renfroe SD, OF – Was a bit of a mixed bag at Triple-A (PCL), jacking 30 homers, but striking out 20% of the time and walking a measly 3.9% of the time. Hit 4 homers in his brief 11 game MLB debut. Prime Projection: 74/26/91/.263/.304/.470/5
ETA: 2017 Opening Day starting right fielder.

33) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – Was too pull happy early in the season, which led to a disastrous first two months at High-A, but turned it around in the second half when he went back to hitting frozen ropes all over the field. Still some projection left on his homerun power. Prime Projection: 83/23/98/.287/.332/.483/7
ETA: Will be interesting to see what Boston does with Moncada and/or Pedroia when Devers is ready, which should be around 2018/2019 if things go relatively well.

34) Gleybor Torres NYY, SS – Has been getting rave reviews in the Arizona Fall League where he is slashing .308/.426/.590 with 3 homers. The power has certainly arrived for the 19-year-old Torres. Prime Projection: 82/21/87/.277/.346/.467/13
ETA: The Yanks have been known to be relatively conservative with their hitting prospects, so I wouldn’t expect him until the 2nd half of the 2019 season.

35) Cody Bellinger LAD, 1B/OF – Significantly improved both his walk and strikeout rate at Double-A while maintaining his considerable power. Prime Projection: 77/24/91/.268/.357/.480/6
ETA: Is lining up perfectly to take over 1B when Adrian Gonzalez’s contract runs out after the 2018 season.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Extra Innings

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: Extra Innings:

Remember when I said I was going to shift over to fantasy football? Fuck it, I’m sticking with fantasy baseball prospects. I’m sure I will sprinkle in some football stuff here and there, but I have too much fun writing about prospects to stop.

Yoan Moncada BOS, 3B – Is Byron Buxton’ing himself in his MLB debut, going 4 for 18 with 11 K’s. Like Buxton, just have to stay patient.

Alex Bregman HOU, 3B/SS/OF – Has been red hot for about a month now as I’m sure you know, but just wanted to note it hasn’t been on the back of his elite minor league contact skills, as he is carrying a 23% MLB K rate. That is why I value bat speed, exit velocity, and power at least equal to plate approach and contact skills in the minors. Everybody is striking out in the majors, so when you do make contact, better make it count.

A.J. Reed HOU, 1B/Aaron Judge NYY, OF – On the flip side of the coin, if you are already striking out a lot in the minors, it could get even worse in the majors. A 22.6% K rate for Reed has turned into a 33.1% rate in the majors (.175 avg) and a 24% K rate for Judge has turned into a 43.8% rate in the majors (.177 avg). I’m still on board with both players, but the risk is obvious.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Has turned it up another notch in the playoffs, launching 3 homers in 4 games. He also carried Team Canada in the Pan-Am games last year, as I noted in the off-season sleeper post I wrote for him. I’m one of those crazy humans who believes that “clutch” is a real thing, and it’s becoming clear that O’Neill is clutch. He is starting to have all the makings of a big time Major Leaguer.

Victor Robles WASH, OF – Carried over his hot hitting from the end of the season into the playoffs, going 6 for 14 in 3 games. His season line at High-A doesn’t stand out, but that’s just because he ran out of time.

Jose Berrios MIN, RHP – It’s been only 44.2 IP, but Berrios’ MLB debut has been an absolute disaster. He couldn’t get out of the 3rd inning in his start this week, going 2.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BB, 1 K. This certainly doesn’t doom his MLB career, but I am starting to question how high his upside is.

Luke Weaver STL, RHP – I’ve been preaching that changeups are underrated in the prospect world, and Weaver is showing why they deserve more respect, spinning 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 8 K this week. He now has a 39/8 K/BB in 31 MLB IP.

Kyle Tucker HOU, OF/Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – Two of the most promising 19-year-olds in baseball each have a dinger in 3 post-season games. The more the game power shows up, the better.

Franklin Barreto OAK, 2B/SS – The 20-year-old Barreto is dominating the Triple-A playoffs, slashing .421/.500/.947. What started off looking like a solid but unspectacular year has ended up being a major step forward.

Renato Nunez OAK, 3B/1B/OF – Drilled 3 homers in 5 post-season games. He put up only a .690 OPS in Triple-A this year, but I like him a lot as a buy low/bounce back candidate for next season.

Kevin Gadea SEA, RHP – 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 11 K in his playoff start this week. On the season, he has a pitching line of 68.2 IP, 18 ER, 56 Hits, 14 BB, 95 K. Who is this guy? Baseball America had him as an international sleeper back in 2013 after signing with Seattle for $42,000. He is 6’5’’, 190 pounds with a low 90’s fastball and a legitimate curveball and changeup. I don’t know much about him, but anybody his size putting up those kind of numbers with 3 legitimate pitches should be on our radar. Hat tip to bp42810 in the comments section at Minorleagueball.com for bringing him to my attention.

Jason Martin HOU, OF – In the same comments section, check out what Revilo wrote about 2013 8th round pick Jason Martin. At 5’11’’, 190 pounds he will almost surely remain underrated throughout his entire minor league career, but what he has done this year deserves to put him on the map. He slashed .270/.357/.533, with 23 homers, 20 steals, and 108/55 K/BB in the Cal League. He has a short, quick lefty swing that is geared more towards line drives than homers, but as evidenced by his power surge this year, there is definitely plenty of pop in his bat too. And oh yea, he has had two multi-homer games in the playoffs already.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 19

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 19:

Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS/Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – They can’t all be Francisco Lindor, a light hitting shortstop in the minors who ripped it up immediately upon stepping foot in the majors (and hasn’t stopped ripping it up). Mondesi and Arcia have both predictably struggled since being called up, slashing .196/.211/.250 and .184/.259/.245, respectively. If I was going to put my money on one guy to be the next Lindor, it would be J.P. Crawford, but I wouldn’t bet on that either.

Francisco Mejia CLE, C – The hit streak is over at 50! But it was really kinda already over at 49 after the umps gifted Mejia a hit on Saturday night by overturning a correctly called error after the game had already ended. Hit streak or no hit streak, it doesn’t change the fact that Mejia has exploded onto the prospect map, and might have the best hit tool of any catcher in the minors.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Big Willie Style (yes, I actually owned that CD back in the day) launched 2 homers last night, and continues to add to his cult-like status in the fantasy prospect world. I can’t wait for him to actually get the call to the bigs, hopefully sometime next season.

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – The inconsistent Giolito looked good this week, going 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 5 K. He isn’t exactly Stephen Strasburg’ing his way to the Majors, but not many do.

Ian Anderson ATL, RHP – Promoted from Rookie ball to Rookie ball, but the better Rookie ball, and looked good over 3.2 IP. Here is an excellent scouting report from Kyle Glaser over at Baseball America on the start.

Michael Kopech BOS, RHP – Exploded this week, going 5 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BB, 11 K. His only plus pitch is his fastball right now, but damn is it a plus pitch, carrying him to 60 K’s in 38.1 IP.

Kyle Lewis SEA, OF – If you want to know why Lewis’ knee injury scares me so much, just watch this video he posted on Twitter of some of his early rehab work. I’m far from a doctor, so feel free to ignore my concerns, although I have been known to be one helluva internet diagnostician.

Corey Ray MIL, OF – Showing a pulse at High-A, hitting 2 homers and stealing 2 bases this week. The power/speed combo isn’t going anywhere, but the hit tool still needs improvement.

Aaron Judge NYY, OF/Gary Sanchez NYY, C – Judge and Sanchez both knocked their 2nd career Major League homer last night. I don’t own these guys in any fantasy leagues, unfortunately, but I’m just excited as a Yankees fan. I know it’s hard to believe, but watching declining veterans chug their way to 80 something wins isn’t very exciting.

Kolby Allard ATL, LHP/ Sean Newcomb ATL, LHP – Who is the best pitching prospect in Atlanta’s minor league system? Ralph held my feet to the fire on this question in Episode 2 of the Razzball Prospect Podcast (we also talked about the Gourriel brothers and swapped childhood WWF stories), and I stuck to my guns and went with Allard. He rewarded my faith with a gem of a performance this week, going 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BB, 9 K. Newcomb is his biggest competition, and he had his 3rd dominant outing in a row, going 17.2 IP, 2 ER, 10 hits, 6 BB, 25 K over that span. The 23-year-old Newcomb is much closer to the majors, but the 19-year-old Allard already has better control and command.

Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Promoted to Triple-A and smacked 2 homers with 8 K’s in 6 games. The power/speed combo looks great, but his already weak hit tool has regressed this year, striking out 29% of the time.

Raimel Tapia COL, OF – Promoted to Triple-A and hasn’t missed a beat, slashing .444/.464/.741. He has quieted a lot of the doubters by not only thriving in the upper levels of the minors, but also drastically cutting his K%.

Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – 3 more homers this week, giving him 29 on the season in a pitcher’s park. He is never going to hit for average, but he is a sure bet to stick at 3B, and there doesn’t look to be a doubt that his power will play in Oakland Coliseum.

Travis Demeritte ATL, 2B – Finally got on the board for his new team, knocking out 2 homers in one game. That gives him a .218/.394/.473 triple-slash in 16 games outside of the High Desert.

Jake Junis KC, RHP – His name makes him sound like a talented but troubled musician who died too young, but he is really just a boring future number 3/4 starter. I mentioned him way back in Week 9, and he has continued to pitch well, going 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 7 K in his first start at Triple-A. If you are in a deep league and are looking for a “safe” starter, it is time to scoop Junis.

Thomas Szapucki NYM, LHP/ Yohander Mendez TEX, LHP – I know I can’t stop writing about these guys, but they keep putting up notable performances that continue to back up their breakout seasons. Szapucki threw up another double-digit K outing in 5.1 IP, albeit giving up 4 ER in the process, and Mendez threw his third straight shutout in the PCL (one of which came in July), giving up only 1 hit and striking out 6.

Austin Riley ATL, 3B – The hype has cooled dramatically since being a favorite off-season sleeper of many, but he has quietly put together a very respectable season as a 19-year-old in Single-A. He knocked 4 homers this week, and now has 14 homers and a .749 OPS on the season.

Erick Fedde WASH, RHP – Impressed in his first start at Double-A, going 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BB, 3 K. He still needs to develop a third pitch, but he’s dominating the minor leagues right now with the two plus pitches he does have (fastball/slider).

Erik Swanson NYY, RHP – 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 9 K as a 22-year-old in Single-A. I know the Yanks just got their hands on this guy a few weeks ago, but I think it’s time to move him up a level.

Yusniel Diaz LAD, OF – The talented Diaz is starting to turn it back on, hitting 3 homers in his last 7 games, including one last night. He is only 19 years old in High-A, so the .272/.338/.420 slash line really doesn’t look all that bad.

Dylan Davis SF, OF –  Surprise, surprise … San Francisco looks to have themselves another underrated prospect who can be the next in a long line to “come out of nowhere” and become a legit contributor to the big league club. Davis clubbed homers in back-to-back-to-back games this week, giving him 20 homers, to go along with a strong 97/45 K/BB in 107 games. He was a 3rd round pick in the 2014 draft, which seems to be the area where the good drafting teams do their best work. He just turned 23 years old and has done most of his damage in High-A, but the plus raw power and plus bat speed are for real. Don’t expect a star, especially at AT&T park, but he definitely has a shot at being a legitimate power hitting corner outfielder.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 18

Every Monday (or Tuesday in this case), 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 18:

David Dahl COL, OF/Alex Bregman HOU, 3B/SS – The Bizzaro World version of Byron Buxton and Corey Seager. This time, the toolsy outfielder with some K problems is thriving (Dahl: .382/.404/.600), while the more contact oriented infielder is struggling (Bregman: .135/.196/.173). Just goes to show that every prospect, regardless of their profile, has risk, especially in their MLB debut.

Nick Senzel CIN, 3B – Senzel is answering questions about his power potential, smashing homers in back-to-back-to-back games this week. That gives him 6 homers and 15 steals in 45 games on the season. With Kyle Lewis’ knee injury, and Ray struggling at High-A, it is hard to argue for anyone but Senzel as the top pick in first year player drafts, although you know I’ll try 🙂

Lewis Brinson MIL, OF – My top rated prospect traded at the deadline, Brinson is making a good first impression with his new team, slashing .448/.448/.690 with 1 homer and 3 steals in 7 games at Triple-A. My prospector in crime, and co-host of the first ever Razzball Prospect Podcast, Ralph Lifshitz, disagrees, and thinks Clint Frazier is #1. Along with ranking the top 20 prospects traded at the deadline, we also discussed some of the recent studs called up to the majors. And oh yea, I’m now contractually obligated to mention that this blurb was brought to you by Flo from Progressive, Verizon Fios, and Omaha Steaks.

Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Having a late season power surge, doubling his season homer total by smoking 3 of them this week. That gives him 6 on the season for all you Communications/English majors out there.

Justus Sheffield NYY, LHP – Seriously impressed in his first start for New York at High-A, going 6 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 11 K. It was the most K’s he had in a game this season, and just his 2nd double digit K game.

Alex Reyes STL, RHP – The PCL has not been kind to Reyes, but he flashed his massive upside on Saturday night, going 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BB, 8 K. His numbers on the season aren’t pretty, but his stuff still is.

Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – Cleveland may have traded their #1 real life prospect, but they hung on to their top rated fantasy prospect in my mid-season top 100. Since being promoted to Triple-A, Zimmer is slashing .327/.431/.429, with 1 homer, 2 steals, and a 16/9 K/BB in 13 games. That gives him 15 homers and 35 steals on the season.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Another Cleveland prospect who I ranked over Frazier for fantasy, Bradley crushed 3 homers since the calendar turned to August, giving him 22 on the season. Now that I’m thinking about it, the Yanks passed on Jimenez (#43) for Torres (#63), and presumably passed on Zimmer (#17) for Frazier (#38). Yes, fantasy is different than real life, but I really hope the Yanks picked the right prospects.

Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – These next 4 pitching prospects are some of my favorites in the entire minor leagues. Allard went 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 11 K in a dominating performance as an 18-year-old in Single-A. Considering this is basically his rehab year after back surgery, his stock is back on the rise.

Thomas Szapucki NYM, LHP – I told you to pick up Szapucki last week, and he rewarded you with a 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 1 Hit, 4 BB, 11 K gem of a performance. Well, it wouldn’t have rewarded your fantasy team, but it always feels good when your prospects are dominating.

Yohander Mendez TEX, LHP – Called up to Triple-A this week and threw 5 shutout innings as he continues to build on his breakout season.

Yadier Alvarez LAD, RHP – 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 7 K. Stat line speaks for itself.

Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Yesterday, I gave you this video of Judge hitting a beastly Grand Slam off Reynaldo Lopez on Sunday Night as a mea culpa for being one day late with the Rundown. I also gave you an apology courtesy of Larry David for the minor inconvenience it may have caused you. And if the Grand Slam didn’t give it away, Judge has looked no worse for wear since returning from a knee injury, slashing .318/.375/.545 in 6 games.

Ronald Guzman TEX, 1B – Called up to Triple-A and homered in his first game at the level. Then proceeded to get 2 singles in his next 17 at-bats.

Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – 5 homers in 2 games this week. It’s kinda funny that it doesn’t matter what Cozens does in Reading, everyone will still be skeptical. I haven’t heard one person say they are really buying in. The universal agreement actually worries me a bit. Maybe we all can’t see what is right in front of our faces.

Isan Diaz MIL, 2B – Showing no signs of slowing down, cracking 3 homers this week to give him 18 on the season. He will start to get some respect on top 100’s this off-season, but his small second baseman status will still inevitably keep him underrated.

Francis Martes HOU, RHP – Just as exciting and upsidey as my favorite pitching prospects I mentioned above, Martes went 13.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BB, 19 K in his 2 starts this week. I really don’t have a good explanation for why he isn’t one of my favorites.

Renato Nunez OAK, 3B – Nunez went into a deep mid-season funk, be he has started to come out of it, hitting 6 homers in his last 17 games, and is slashing .348/.400/.783 this week. His overall slash line isn’t impressive, but he has 19 homers on the year, and I still really like his swing and natural feel for hitting.

Chase Vallot KC, C – A little rusty after returning from a few freak injuries, but he is starting to heat up again, cracking homers in back-to-back games. He is the epitome of the bat speed/power/strikeout sleepers that I love, and he has a puncher’s chance of sticking at catcher.

Edwin Rios LAD, 1B – 2 homers this week and his 3rd in 9 games at Double-A. The more the power shows up away from Rancho Cucamongo and the Cal League, the better he looks.

Triston McKenzie CLE, RHP – I actually like this next group of pitching prospects a lot too. McKenzie got promoted to Single-A this week, and struck out 11 batters with 0 walks over 5 IP, albeit with a homer and 3 ER. He looks like a lock to sit comfortably within most top 100’s this off-season.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP – 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BB, 9 K. He had struggled in his previous 3 starts, so having one of his best starts of the season this week was encouraging.

Luke Weaver STL, RHP – Promoted to Triple-A (PCL) last night and went 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BB, 4 K. He has given up more than 2 ER in only one start this season.

Max Wotell CIN, LHP/Lucius Fox TB, SS/Erik Swanson NYY, RHP – Wrote a deep sleeper post for these guys on Thursday when technical difficulties delayed the release of our Razzball Prospect Podcast. We talked about them on the podcast too. I don’t think there is any corner of the internet that has hyped up these guys in the last week more than we have.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

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)