(Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
We are currently in the third week of Arizona Fall League (AFL) play where many of the game’s top prospects are playing including Toronto Blue Jays 3B prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Milwaukee Brewers 2B prospect Keston Hiura, and New York Mets 1B prospect Peter Alonso. The gap between the end of the minor league season and the beginning of the AFL season allowed me to revisit the prospect rankings from mid-season that my college Brennen Gorman and I put together. We put together a top 150 Overall list for both hitters and pitchers at mid-season, plus also covered position by position rankings that went 30 deep (50 for outfielders) and we plan to do that again in time for MLB Spring Training.
For now though, here is my top 150 overall prospects list as sort of an appetizer to hold you over until then! Like our position by position rankings, I have included a rough prime projection for each player as well as an estimated ETA. I am abiding by rookie status to determine prospect status meaning that a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the majors to be considered. Note that I place an emphasis on upside, namely power and speed guys like the guy pictured above, SS Royce Lewis of the Minnesota Twins organization, while also prioritizing closeness to the majors when the value is close. Feel free to ask questions or drop a comment, I’m are always happy to discuss! Without further ado, onto the list!
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Organization | Level | Age | Projection | ETA |
| 1. | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 3B | Toronto Blue Jays | AAA | 19 | .313/.402, 32 HRs, 3 SBs | April 2019 |
| 2. | Eloy Jimenez | OF | Chicago White Sox | AAA | 21 | .292/.343, 36 HRs, 3 SBs | April 2019 |
| 3. | Victor Robles | OF | Washington Nationals | AAA/MLB | 21 | .287/.342, 19 HRs, 33 SB | Early 2019 |
| 4. | Kyle Tucker | OF | Houston Astros | AAA | 21 | .286/.348, 27 HRs, 16 SBs | Early 2019 |
| 5. | Nick Senzel | 3B | Cincinnati Reds | AAA | 23 | .291/.361, 23 HRs, 14 SBs | Mid 2019 |
| 6. | Royce Lewis | SS | Minnesota Twins | A+ | 19 | .278/.338, 18 HRs, 27 SBs | 2020 |
| 7. | Bo Bichette | SS | Toronto Blue Jays | AA | 20 | .288/.340, 24 HRs, 11 SBs | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 8. | Fernando Tatis Jr. | SS | San Diego Padres | AA | 19 | .269/.340, 27 HRs, 12 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 9. | Forrest Whitley | SP | Houston Astros | AA | 21 | 3.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 239 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 10. | Brendan Rodgers | SS | Colorado Rockies | AAA | 22 | .281/.327, 26 HRs, 6 SBs | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 11. | Jo Adell | OF | Los Angeles Angels | AA | 19 | .268/.326. 26 HRs, 11 SBs | 2020 |
| 12. | Taylor Trammell | OF | Cincinnati Reds | A+ | 21 | .264/.337, 18 HRs, 24 SBs | 2020-2021 |
| 13. | Jesus Luzardo | SP | Oakland Athletics | SP | 20 | 3.41 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 212 K’s in 200 innings | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 14. | Garrett Hampson | 2B/SS | Colorado Rockies | AAA/MLB | 23 | .296/.355, 11 HRs, 29 SBs | Opening Day 2019 |
| 15. | Wander Franco | SS | Tampa Bay Rays | ROK | 17 | .288/.347, 22 HRs, 7 SBs | 2021 |
| 16. | Alex Kirilloff | OF | Minnesota Twins | A+ | 20 | .284/.327, 24 HRs, 3 SBs | 2020 |
| 17. | MacKenzie Gore | SP | San Diego Padres | A | 19 | 3.39 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 212 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 18. | Luis Robert | OF | Chicago White Sox | A+ | 21 | .263/.321, 19 HRs, 23 SBs | 2020 |
| 19. | Yordan Alvarez | 1B/OF | Houston Astros | AAA | 21 | .276/.352, 28 HRs, 3 SB | Late 2019 |
| 20. | Peter Alonso | 1B | New York Mets | AAA | 23 | .273/.344, 29 HRs, 1 SB | Early-Mid 2019 |
| 21. | Keston Hiura | 2B | Milwaukee Brewers | AA | 22 | .286/.340, 21 HRs, 6 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 22. | Nathaniel Lowe | 1B | Tampa Bay Rays | AAA | 23 | .282/.351, 25 HRs, 1 SB | Late 2019 |
| 23. | Brent Honeywell | SP | Tampa Bay Rays | AAA | 23 | 3.46 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 216 K’s in 200 innings | Mid 2019 |
| 24. | Francisco Mejia | C | San Diego Padres | AAA/MLB | 22 | .283/.334, 18 HRs, 2 SBs | Opening Day 2019 |
| 25. | Mitch Keller | SP | Pittsburgh Pirates | AAA | 22 | 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 179 K’s in 200 innings | Mid 2019 |
| 26. | Carter Kieboom | SS | Washington Nationals | AA | 21 | .271/.352, 23 HRs, 4 SBs | 2020 |
| 27. | Alex Reyes | SP | St. Louis Cardinals | AAA/MLB | 23 | 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 223 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 28. | Michael Kopech | SP | Chicago White Sox | AAA/MLB | 22 | 3.46 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 226 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 29. | Mike Soroka | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 21 | 3.52 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 166 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 30. | Nick Madrigal | 2B | Chicago White Sox | A+ | 21 | .299/.346, 11 HRs, 21 SBs | 2020 |
| 31. | Triston McKenzie | SP | Cleveland Indians | AA | 23 | 3.56 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 193 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 32. | Casey Mize | SP | Detroit Tigers | A+ | 21 | 3.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 206 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 33. | Sixto Sanchez | SP | Philadelphia Phillies | A+ | 20 | 3.50 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 181 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 34. | Vidal Brujan | 2B | Tampa Bay Rays | A | 20 | .282/.347, 10 HRs, 27 SBs | 2021 |
| 35. | Chris Paddack | SP | San Diego Padres | AA | 22 | 3.54 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 188 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 36. | Jesus Sanchez | OF | Tampa Bay Rays | AA | 20 | .279/.318, 23 HRs, 7 SBs | 2020 |
| 37. | A.J. Puk | SP | Oakland Athletics | AA | 23 | 3.53 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 214 K’s in 200 innings | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 38. | Touki Toussaint | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 22 | 3.57 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 199 K’s in 2oo innings | Opening Day 2019 |
| 39. | Dylan Cease | SP | Chicago White Sox | AA | 22 | 3.58 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 218 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 40. | Kyle Wright | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 22 | 3.61 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 189 K’s in 200 innings | Early-Mid 2019 |
| 41. | Austin Riley | 3B | Atlanta Braves | AAA | 21 | .262/.323, 26 HRs, 2 SBs | Mid 2019 |
| 42. | Alec Bohm | 3B | Philadelphia Phillies | A | 22 | .270/.342, 25 HRs, 5 SBs | 2020 |
| 43. | Nolan Gorman | 3B | St. Louis Cardinals | A | 18 | .258/.337, 30 HRs, 1 SB | 2021 |
| 44. | Ian Anderson | SP | Atlanta Braves | AA | 20 | 3.62 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 204 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 45. | Justus Sheffield | SP | New York Yankees | AAA | 22 | 3.68 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 185 K’s in 200 innings | Mid 2019 |
| 46. | Alex Verdugo | OF | Los Angeles Dodgers | AAA | 22 | .287/.346, 17 HRs, 7 SBs | Early 2019 |
| 47. | Brendan Mckay | SP/1B | Tampa Bay Rays | A+ | 22 | 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 188 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 48. | Hunter Greene | SP | Cincinnati Reds | A | 19 | 3.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 204 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 49. | Luiz Gohara | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 22 | 3.63 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 212 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 50. | Danny Jansen | C | Toronto Blue Jays | AAA/MLB | 22 | .282/.368, 15 HRs, 2 SBs | Opening Day 2019 |
| 51. | Colton Welker | 3B | Colorado Rockies | A+ | 20 | .286/.335, 21 HRs, 3 SBs | 2020 |
| 52. | Keibert Ruiz | C | Los Angeles Dodgers | AA | 20 | .285/.327, 16 HRs, 2 SBs | 2020 |
| 53. | Nolan Jones | 3B | Cleveland Indians | A+ | 20 | .273/.364, 22 HRs, 4 SBs | 2020-2021 |
| 54. | Nate Pearson | SP | Toronto Blue Jays | A+ | 22 | 3.61 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 219 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 55. | Michael Baez | SP | San Diego Padres | AA | 22 | 3.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 213 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 56. | Brusdar Graterol | SP | Minnesota Twins | A+ | 20 | 3.60 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 187 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 57. | Michael Chavis | 3B | Boston Red Sox | AAA | 23 | .258/.318, 27 HRs, 3 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 58. | Christin Stewart | OF | Detroit Tigers | AAA/MLB | 24 | .255/.339, 26 HRs, 3 SBs | Early 2019 |
| 59. | Jon Duplantier | SP | Arizona Diamondbacks | AA | 24 | 3.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 194 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 60. | Corbin Burnes | SP | Milwaukee Brewers | AAA/MLB | 24 | 3.73 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 181 K’s in 200 innings | Opening Day 2019 |
| 61. | Corbin Martin | SP | Houston Astros | AA | 22 | 3.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 176 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 62. | Adrian Morejon | SP | San Diego Padres | A+ | 19 | 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 181 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 63. | Jonathan Loaisiga | SP | New York Yankees | AAA/MLB | 23 | 3.72 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 201 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 64. | Jonathan India | 3B | Cincinnati Reds | A | 21 | .266/.340, 22 HRs, 7 SBs | 2020 |
| 65. | Jorge Mateo | SS | Oakland Athletics | AAA | 23 | .248/.306, 11 HRs, 36 SBs | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 66. | Luis Patino | SP | San Diego Padres | A | 18 | 3.64 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 183 K’s in 200 innings | 2023 |
| 67. | Trevor Larnach | OF | Minnesota Twins | A | 21 | .256/.344, 26 HRs, 2 SBs | 2021 |
| 68. | Matt Manning | SP | Detroit Tigers | AA | 20 | 3.77 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 213 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 69. | Deivi Garcia | SP | New York Yankees | AA | 19 | 3.78 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 189 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 70. | Dane Dunning | SP | Chicago White Sox | AA | 23 | 3.81 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 189 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 71. | Luis Urias | 2B | San Diego Padres | AAA/MLB | 21 | .290/.342, 13 HRs, 6 SBs | Opening Day 2019 |
| 72. | Isaac Parades | SS | Detroit Tigers | AA | 19 | .281/.346, 20 HRs, 1 SB | 2020 |
| 73. | Matthew Liberatore | SP | Tampa Bay Rays | ROK | 18 | 3.79 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 183 K’s in 200 innings | 2022 |
| 74. | Bryse Wilson | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 20 | 3.83 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 180 K’s in 200 innings | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 75. | Jahmai Jones | 2B/OF | Los Angeles Angels | AA | 21 | .269/.339, 17 HRs, 19 SBs | 2020 |
| 76. | Travis Swaggerty | OF | Pittsburgh Pirates | A | 21 | .263/.337, 16 HRs, 22 SBs | 2021 |
| 77. | Dustin May | SP | Los Angeles Dodgers | AA | 21 | 3.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 156 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 78. | Brandon Lowe | 2B/OF | Tampa Bay Rays | AAA/MLB | 24 | .271/.353, 22 HRs, 4 SBs | Early 2019 |
| 79. | Griffin Canning | SP | Los Angeles Angels | AAA | 22 | 3.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 187 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 80. | Adonis Medina | SP | Philadelphia Phillies | A+ | 21 | 3.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 178 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 81. | Evan White | 1B/OF | Seattle Mariners | A+ | 22 | .273/.338, 18 HRs, 12 SBs | 2020 |
| 82. | Dennis Santana | SP | Los Angeles Dodgers | AAA | 22 | 3.89 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 209 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 83. | Joshua James | SP | Houston Astros | AAA/MLB | 25 | 3.93 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 193 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 84. | Taylor Widener | SP | Arizona Diamondbacks | AA | 23 | 3.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 189 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
| 85. | Jarred Kelenic | OF | New York Mets | ROK | 19 | .275/.336, 19 HRs, 8 SBs | 2021 |
| 86. | Logan Allen | SP | San Diego Padres | AAA | 21 | 3.96 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 177 K’s in 200 innings | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 87. | Franklin Perez | SP | Detroit Tigers | A+ | 20 | 3.97 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 171 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 88. | Brady Singer | SP | Kansas City Royals | ROK | 22 | 3.95 ERA, 1.28 ERA, 179 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 89. | Ryan Mountcastle | 3B | Baltimore Orioles | AA | 21 | .274/.311, 21 HRs, 2 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 90. | Justin Dunn | SP | New York Mets | AA | 23 | 4.01 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 187 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 91. | Shane Baz | SP | Tampa Bay Rays | ROK | 19 | 4.03 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 192 K’s in 200 innings | 2022 |
| 92. | Estevan Florial | OF | New York Yankees | A+ | 20 | .243/.322, 23 HRs, 18 SBs | 2020 |
| 93. | Anthony Alford | OF | Toronto Blue Jays | AAA/MLB | 24 | .247/.328, 17 HRs, 22 SBs | Early 2019 |
| 94. | Corey Ray | OF | Milwaukee Brewers | AA | 24 | .240/.311, 19 HRs, 21 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 95. | Monte Harrison | OF | Miami Marlins | AA | 23 | .234/.307, 18 HRs, 20 SBs | 2020 |
| 96. | Eric Pardinho | SP | Toronto Blue Jays | ROK | 17 | 3.93 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 182 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 97. | DL Hall | SP | Baltimore Orioles | A | 20 | 4.06 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 184 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 98. | Daz Cameron | OF | Detroit Tigers | AAA | 21 | .269/.343, 16 HRs, 17 SBs | 2020 |
| 99. | Nick Solak | 2B | Tampa Bay Rays | AAA | 23 | .277/.342, 16 HRs, 12 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 100. | Drew Waters | OF | Atlanta Braves | A+ | 19 | .268/.319, 18 HRs, 14 SBs | 2021 |
| 101. | Brandon Marsh | OF | Los Angeles Angels | A+ | 20 | .258/.338, 18 HRs, 14 SBs | 2020 |
| 102. | Xavier Edwards | 2B/SS | San Diego Padres | A- | 19 | .276/.338, 6 HRs, 30 SBs | 2022 |
| 103. | Bubba Thompson | OF | Texas Rangers | A | 20 | .243/.298, 16 HRs, 22 SBs | 2022 |
| 104. | Jordyn Adams | OF | Los Angeles Angels | ROK | 18 | .249/.334, 14 HRs, 26 SBs | 2023 |
| 105. | Joey Wentz | SP | Atlanta Braves | A+ | 21 | 4.08 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 176 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 106. | Cionel Perez | SP | Houston Astros | AAA/MLB | 22 | 4.10 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 180 K’s in 200 innings | Mid 2019 |
| 107. | Andres Gimenez | SS | New York Mets | AA | 20 | .273/.336, 12 HRs, 13 SBs | 2020 |
| 108. | Jeisson Rosario | OF | San Diego Padres | A | 18 | .278/.357, 15 HRs, 17 SBs | 2021 |
| 109. | Dalton Varsho | C | Arizona Diamondbacks | A+ | 21 | .271/.333, 16 HRs, 11 SBs | 2021 |
| 110. | Leody Tavares | OF | Texas Rangers | A+ | 20 | .269/.317, 13 HRs, 14 SBs | 2020 |
| 111. | Luis Garcia | SS | Washington Nationals | A+ | 18 | .279/.316, 9 HRs, 14 SBs | 2021 |
| 112. | Ronaldo Hernandez | C | Tampa Bay Rays | A | 20 | .264/.311, 21 HRs, 3 SBs | 2022 |
| 113. | Sean Reid-Foley | SP | Toronto Blue Jays | AAA/MLB | 23 | 4.11 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 201 K’s in 200 innings | Mid 2019 |
| 114. | Shed Long | 2B | Cincinnati Reds | AA | 23 | .262/.328, 17 HRs, 10 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 115. | Kevin Smith | SS/3B | Toronto Blue Jays | A+ | 22 | .255/.311, 18 HRs, 10 SBs | 2020 |
| 116. | Akil Baddoo | OF | Minnesota Twins | A | 20 | .253/.340, 13 HRs, 18 SBs | 2021 |
| 117. | Jeter Downs | SS | Cincinnati Reds | A | 20 | .266/.335, 15 HRs, 12 SBs | 2021 |
| 118. | Khalil Lee | OF | Kansas City Royals | AA | 20 | .244/.340, 18 HRs, 11 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 119. | Julio Pablo Martinez | OF | Texas Rangers | A- | 22 | .248/.341, 14 HRs, 18 SBs | 2021 |
| 120. | Luis Rengifo | 2B/SS | Los Angeles Angels | AAA | 21 | .264/.331, 8 HRs, 18 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 121. | Esteury Ruiz | 2B | San Diego Padres | A | 19 | .245/.309, 19 HRs, 12 SBs | 2022 |
| 122. | Joey Bart | C | San Francisco Giants | A- | 21 | .251/.317 21 HRs, 2 SBs | 2021 |
| 123. | Tony Santillan | SP | Cincinnati Reds | AA | 21 | 4.09 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 183 K’s in 200 innings | 2020 |
| 124. | Austin Hays | OF | Baltimore Orioles | AA | 23 | .267/.303, 24 HRs, 3 SBs | Mid 2019 |
| 125. | Elehuris Montero | 3B | St. Louis Cardinals | A+ | 20 | .269/.333, 23 HRs, 1 SB | 2021 |
| 126. | Seth Beer | 1B/DH | Houston Astros | A+ | 22 | .260/.338, 24 HRs, 1 SB | 2021 |
| 127. | Cavan Biggio | 2B/OF | Toronto Blue Jays | AA | 23 | .253/.364, 21 HRs, 5 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 128. | Myles Straw | OF | Houston Astros | AAA/MLB | 23 | .270/.343, 1 HR, 31 SBs | Mid-Late 2019 |
| 129. | Seuly Matias | OF | Kansas City Royals | A | 20 | .231/.294, 32 HRs, 3 SBs | 2022 |
| 130. | Zack Collins | C | Chicago White Sox | AA | 23 | .236/.357, 24 HRs, 1 SB | Late 2019 |
| 131. | Stephen Gonsalves | SP | Minnesota Twins | AAA | 24 | 4.14 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 174 K’s in 200 innings | Early-Mid 2019 |
| 132. | Gavin Lux | 2B/SS | Los Angeles Dodgers | AA | 20 | .271/.343, 17 HRs, 8 SBs | 2020 |
| 133. | Adam Haseley | OF | Philadelphia Phillies | AA | 22 | .276/.335, 16 HRs, 7 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 134. | Yusniel Diaz | OF | Baltimore Orioles | AA | 21 | .273/.346, 15 HRs, 5 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 135. | Josh Naylor | 1B | San Diego Padres | AA | 21 | .278/.341, 19 HRs, 1 SB | 2020 |
| 136. | Cole Winn | SP | Texas Rangers | ROK | 18 | 3.90 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 184 K’s in 200 innings | 2022 |
| 137. | Grant Lavigne | 1B | Colorado Rockies | ROK | 19 | .263/.346, 24 HRs, 5 SBs | 2022 |
| 138. | Malcom Nunez | 3B | St. Louis Cardinals | ROK | 17 | .272/.343, 22 HRs, 2 SBs | 2023 |
| 139. | Braxton Garrett | SP | Miami Marlins | A | 21 | 4.07 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 184 K’s in 200 innings | 2021 |
| 140. | Jordan Groshans | SS/3B | Toronto Blue Jays | ROK | 18 | .263/.336, 18 HRs, 3 SBs | 2022 |
| 141. | Mark Vientos | 3B | New York Mets | ROK | 18 | .268/.340, 19 HRs, 1 SB | 2022 |
| 142. | Kolby Allard | SP | Atlanta Braves | AAA/MLB | 21 | 4.08 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 154 K’s in 200 innings | Early-Mid 2019 |
| 143. | Heliot Ramos | OF | San Francisco Giants | A | 19 | .239/.302, 23 HRs, 9 SBs | 2021 |
| 144. | Hudson Potts | 3B | San Diego Padres | AA | 19 | .248/.301, 22 HRs, 2 SBs | 2020 |
| 145. | Isan Diaz | 2B | Miami Marlins | AAA | 22 | .238/.337, 22 HRs, 6 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 146. | Will Smith | C | Los Angeles Dodgers | AAA | 23 | .242/.332, 18 HRs, 3 SBs | Late 2019 |
| 147. | Oneil Cruz | SS/3B | Pittsburgh Pirates | A | 19 | .240/.309, 20 HRs, 6 SBs | 2021 |
| 148. | Dakota Hudson | SP | St. Louis Cardinals | AAA/MLB | 24 | 4.12 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 150 K’s in 200 innings | Early 2019 |
| 149. | Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | Pittsburgh Pirates | AA | 21 | .273/.340, 14 HRs, 7 SBs | 2020 |
| 150. | Jose Suarez | SP | Los Angeles Angels | AAA | 20 | 4.18 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 183 K’s in 200 innings | Late 2019 |
Players also considered for the list in no particular order:
Cal Quantrill, Albert Abreu, Christian Pache, William Contreras, Beau Burrows, Nick Gordon, Alex Faedo, Chance Adams, Blake Rutherford, Cal Quantrill, Anderson Espinoza, Sandy Alcantara, Brent Rooker, Jose Siri, MJ Melendez, Alec Hansen, Miguel Amaya, Chris Shaw, Andrew Knizer, Bobby Bradley, Conner Scott, Kyler Murray, Lazaro Armenteros, D.J Peters, Ronnie Mauricio, Tyler Freeman, Luis Oviedo, Brayan Rocchio, D’Shawn Knowles, Nick Neidert, Antonio Cabello, Enyel De Los Santos and more!
Willie Calhoun has 133 AB so isn’t eligible anymore.
Thanks for the catch! Appreciate it!
nice list and comments in your article
I’m in a 12 team dynasty league with 12 keepers 7×7 INCLUDES holds
10 prospects
4 single a spots ..
3 quad aaaa can stash for 1 calendar year
its offseason so i am able to stash on my espn roster till draft day
your comments would be appreciated.. top 10 is what i would keep today ..
rankings are mostly from rotowire and YOUR list until further updated lists become available
kristian robinson and morejon are safe and stashed in single a for 1 year .
Winker will be on my mlb roster march 31 as his quad aaaa elgibilty expires
Buttrey i stashed for now hoping he’s a usefull reliever sometime next year
single a
kristian robinson #29
adrian morejon #123 / 46 mlb
quad aaaa
gohara #132 / 78 mlb
jesse winker
ty buttrey
triple aaa
1 – victor robles MLB ROSTER
2- wander franco
3- whitley #6 / 8 mlb MLB ROSTER
4- josh james #52 / 95 mlb MLB ROSTER
5 – victor victor
6- d’shawn knowles #59
7- kevin smith #72/116 pl/
8 – hudson potts #49/77 raz/145 pl/
9 – bubba thompson #58/104 pl/ mlb roster
10 – tyler freeman #70 mlb roster
11-bryce wilson #53 / 96 mlb/75 pl/ mlb roster
dl hall #59/98 pl mlb roster
tirso ornelas #79/83 raz prospect roster
patrick wisdom 3b #85 mlb roster
mark vientos #88/143 pl/ mlb roster
logan allen p #96 /76 mlb/87 pl mlb roster
daz cameron #98/99 pl/ mlb roster
marco luciano #107 triple aaa
jeremiah jackson #104 triple aaa
jasrodo chis #101 triple aaa
grant lavigne #158/139 pl/ triple aaa
framber valdez
reid-foley #141/11
Interesting situation, a number of intriguing prospects here to consider! My first question is can you move players from your currrent prospect list to your Single-A or AAAA spots? If so, I think there’s some worthwhile options like Tirso Ornelas, Mark Vientos, or Grant Lavigne to hold that allow you to keep more than those 10 (you seemingly have spots opening up with Winker coming off AAAA and only 2 listed as Single-A players.
For the 10, I would go with:
1. Victor Robles
2. Wander Franco
3.Forrest Whitley
4. Bryse Wilson
5. Josh James
6. Kevin Smith
7. Bubba Thompson
8. Daz Cameron
9. Victor Victor
10. DL Hall/Sean Reid Foley.
Victor Victor is a wildcard. Scouting reports suggest a profile of 50/55 hit, 45 game power, and 60 run which projects to roughly .260-.270 with 12-15 HRs, and the upside of probably 20ish SBs. If that’s the case, that slots him in around Travis Swaggerty and Jahmai Jones in the upper 70’s but I just don’t know how the SB potential will transfer and that gives me concern. He did steal 40 bases against 10 CS in 290 PAs two years ago in Cuba but I’m not sure how transferable that is to North America and the majors. The scouting comp most often attached to Mesa has been Albert Almora who isn’t the highest regarded fantasy player.
Hope that was helpful, and I’m happy to answer any further questions you may have on the situation!
Great feedback , thanks
Just curious, what are you thoughts about Garrett Hampson for next season?
Also, is this ranking based more on his likelihood of being in the majors next season or is more heavily weighted toward his skill level? This is the highest I’ve seen him, although he appears to have moved up a lot of rankings over the last six months.
I’ll probably end up as one of the higher guys on Hampson but I think his skillset is very fantasy friendly! First off, he’s got well above-average contact skills highlighted by a 7% swinging-strike rate at AAA and 5.2% swinging-strike rate at AA. His 10.4% swinging-strike rate in a small sample in the majors is encouraging too and likely will go down with more MLB experience. For reference, MLB average last year was 10.7%, so even with some regression in his transition up to the majors, he projects as a very good contact hitter. 2nd, Hampson can run! He’s often graded as a 70-grade runner, and he has the instincts to use that speed effectively. He stole 38 bags last year split between AA/AAA/and the majors with just 5 CS. The year before he stole 51 bags against 14 CS at A+. He’s efficient on the basepaths and I think there’s a good chance he’s a 30 SB guy in the majors with upside for 40. Add in that he’s not bereft of power, hitting 10 HRs last year split between 3 levels and 8 the year before, and the thought of Coors Field helping him a bit in the majors in that department and he projects as a fantasy monster in the mold of a Starling Marte, Lorenzo Cain, Jean Segura type at 2B/SS.
Now I get the concern over playing time for Hampson, he’s going to have to fend off a few interesting and highly valued players in the organization like Brendan Rodgers, but I think Hampson will get the first chance as Rodgers looks to need a little more time in AAA currently. Hampson looks ready to be given a chance at 2B with DJ Lemahieu a likely goner in FA as he handled AAA well and even did well in the majors in a small sample size, and he could run with it if he proves himself capable. I also think there’s a good chance that Hampson gets an opportunity in the OF, particularly in CF as Charlie Blackmon is better off in a corner OF spot now and Cargo is likely gone as well. Dahl and Tapia both deserve to get their chance, but Dahl is likely a platoon option at this point:
.234/.258/.438 line with an elevated K rate against lefties this year for a 68 wRC+ .
286/.346/.568 line against righties this year for a 123 wRC+
Career history is similar
Interestingly, he’s been okay home against lefties riding a higher BAPIP but put up a -40 wRC+ on the road against lefties this year.
Right now, I see Hampson as a guy that will get an opportunity to win the 2B job out of camp, with some utility role that allows him to get some time in the OF as well sort of like how the Cubs have managed Ben Zobrist. The ranking is solely on skill rather than opportunity btw, I just think his skillset is quite fantasy friendly. Interested to see how it all plays out next year!
I agree with most of your points, but it’s hard for me to envision Dahl as a platoon option. If you are a lefty, and your-weak side platoon gets you a 411 slugging percentage, that’s pretty good considering it’s only in 25-30% of your ABs. It’s also impressive considering his age and lack of MLB experience. One other thing to consider is that Dahl didn’t exhibit a biglefty weakness in the minors.
A lot will depend on how Colorado rounds out their roster, but given Dahl’s bat skill, age and positional versatility in the outfield, I think he’s an every day guy.
Adam, thanks so much for the writeup on Hampson! Great stuff here. I didn’t realize that about his swinging-strike rate or his high contact rate. With those kinds of rates, you’re right, he should translate into a strong MLB hitter with a nice/high on-base percentage. Love the speed and the steals and really like that he’s got some pop in the bat too. He should benefit from a lot of Coors-friendly doubles and triples. And 100+ runs is almost a gimme as the leadoff hitter in Colorado. Sign me up!!! I’ve got one share of him in a dynasty league, so I hope he makes it happen. Also, with the possibility of Arrenado leaving after 2019, that makes me believe Rodgers could be slotted at 3B or perhaps Story could move to 3B. Yeah, should be very interesting to see how it all plays out but I do like his chances! Thanks!
Where would Japanese pitcher Yusei Kikuchi rank in this list, roughly? Sounds like he’ll be posted this winter.
Interesting question! I have a future MLB imports article planned that will go more in-depth on Kikuchi and other intriguing potential Pacific-Asian MLB postings. Kikuchi is left-handed pitcher, he had a 3.08 ERA with 153 strikeouts (23.4 K%) and 45 walks in 23 starts and 163.2 innings in 2018. Scouting reports suggest that he has 4 offerings, highlighted by a plus fastball that sits in the mid-90’s and a good changeup. He also has a slider and changeup that aren’t as sharp and consistent as the fastball/changeup combo but flash in certain games and he’s become more adept at using them in recent years. That sort of pitch mix gives him a chance to be a #2 SP right away, and the overall pitch mix looks something like Gerrit Cole in Pittsburgh. That’s an easy top 50 prospect!
Hope that was helpful!
Sean Murphy? I’m guessing you rank him behind Will Smith and Zach Collins, but maybe he is in the large clump of players that is 100-150? Seems like he has a reasonable defensive path to MLB, but lower offensive upside?
I think you nailed it with Sean Murphy. Very simply, he’s just behind Will Smith and Zack Collins among catchers in terms of fantasy outlook at the moment and he’s just outside that 150 clump of players to me despite the obvious defensive strengths that push him up on traditional prospect lists. He’s consistently shown quality contact skills with good strikeout rates and above-average swinging-strike rates at every stop. He can also take a walk and should post solid OBP numbers which will make him a valuable real life catcher. The concern is the power upside at the moment. He’s got good raw pop with many 55 grades, but it plays down in games due to a low launch angle currently. He’s consistently put up GB rates around 50% give or take, and if that continues than he may have a tough time reaching the seats more than in the low-double digits. He may be a guy that’s suited for a gradual launch angle change at some point to tap into his power more but currently, he’s a higher floor/moderate upside C that is just outside the top 150 imo.
Good job on this! A lot of work must have gone in.
For the inevitable nitpicks:
-I have Tucker above Robles on my list. Tucker is such a complete hitter and had a dominating AAA season. From June 1st onward, Tucker posted a 198 wRC+ and 388 / 444 / 718 triple slash in AAA. Robles hasn’t approached that level of production in the high minors yet and they’re basically the same age. Robles might have some latent power potential that hasn’t really shown itself yet, but I think Tucker is a safe bet to be the more well-rounded and complete hitter, with some steal upside as well.
-I’d have Fernando Tatis in the top five, and definitely above Lewis and Bichette. The type of power output he showed in the Texas league (fourth in ISO, second in wRC+) at 19 is fairly unprecedented. I think his MLB power potential is 35+ HR fairly easily.
-Although it’s more speculative given his age, I think Franco needs to be in the top 10. The plate discipline he showed in rookie ball this year is exceedingly rare (1.42 BB/K), and he did it at 17, three to five years younger than most of his competition.
Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it! I also appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on the rankings and prospects, some great points here and I love the takes!
I definitely see the case for Kyle Tucker over Victor Robles, Tucker has done nothing but rake since getting to full-season ball including dominating down the stretch in AAA as you mentioned, and Robles has struggled with injuries and has seen his stock fall in some eyes. I ranked them accordingly based mostly on power/speed upside at this point and you can see why I ranked Robles a touch above simply by looking at the projections of the two. I believe in the speed of Robles making more of an impact (legit 70 run, even 75 run grades) and has shown fairly aggressive baserunning to rack up 86 SBs over the last 3 years (72.2% success rate) despite the injuries. Tucker has also shown aptitude on the base paths with 74 SBs (74% success rate). He’s done so with more PA’s though and many scouts are projecting his speed tool to take a step back into below-average range (45/40 future grades) as he further fills out which will put more importance on his bat to return fantasy goodness. Tucker should easily have the edge in power but I don’t think Robles will be a slouch. Robles hit 58 extra base hits in 2017 and has the bat speed and contact skills to run into his fair share and I believe he does have some latent power coming. Overall it’s super close, and really it’s like trying to decide between a Lorenzo Cain/Starling Marte type and an Alex Bregman type (Bregman showed better contact skills but is less BAPIP happy compared to Tucker). There’s a case to be made for either really!
Regarding Tatis Jr., I may be one of the lower guys on him despite really loving his power/speed upside while potentially playing SS. My concern is the contact profile which at the moment, I feel like many are projecting heavily on based on his age. To date in his minor league career, he is yet to show league average contact skills. He posted a 27.7% K rate last year at AA and supported it with an ugly 16.5% swinging-strike rate which is well below-average and would have ranked 5th worst in the Southern League if he had enough PAs to qualify. For reference, MLB average last year was 10.7%, and swinging-strike rate is generally pretty telling about a prospect. Take a look at similarly hyped prospects like Byron Buxton and Yoan Moncada, both showed poor swinging-strike rate in the minors and have had similar poor swinging-strike rates in the majors. Now it’s obviously not all doom and gloom, Tatis Jr. showed improvement as he gained more AA experience before his injury, and he’s still just 19 while having played at a much younger age than normal for each level so there’s lots of reason to project on his contact skills. He also has many high BAPIP traits including a high line-drive rate, a reasonable use of the whole field, and quality speed to help him beat out groundballs that all should help him post quality slash lines despite potential contact issues. Still, I simply think the guys I ranked in front of him show a safer contact profile while also showing impressive power/speed profiles and that’s why I have Tatis Jr. ranked where he is.
Franco is super interesting to me, has that early Juan Soto look with incredible plate discipline and power at such a young age. I definitely think there’s a case to be made that he pushes the back end of the top 10 but he’s still just 17 and hasn’t reached full-season ball yet. Ranking a guy that early in his development at 15 is pretty rare and really impressive, and there’s so much still to come for him and that has me playing things somewhat safe with him. The profile looks really safe though and I think it’s very likely he’s a universal top 10 prospect by mid-season 2019.
These are all fair points.
Looking deeper into Tucker you’re probably right about his stolen bases subsiding. His sprint speed was in JD Davis and Evan Gattis territory with the Astros this year, so against MLB pick off moves and catcher arms he probably doesn’t get the green light.
I’m not so concerned about Tatis’ contact considering how young he is. He was 19 years and 3 months old when the 2018 season started. The Texas league is notoriously pitcher friendly. When Buxton was the same age he was still in rookie ball, and didn’t log a fullish AA season until he was 22. Similarly, Moncada was 20/21 when he hit AA. Tatis certainly has more variance than Lewis and Bichette in his projections, but his upside is much higher. I’ll probably be stashing him at the outset next year.
Just curious, how long before Atlanta calls Austin Riley up? Makes team out of spring training? middle of April? July? If Camargo starts off slow, I don’t see them waiting too long on this guy. He’s proven to be a beast when healthy.
Good question! As you can see from the list, I anticipate Austin Riley to get the call to the majors mid-season this year, very likely after the Super 2 cutoff in June. Right now, I don’t think he’s ready to make the team out of spring training, he just hasn’t shown the type of contact skills at the highest level of the minors to have enough belief that he can hit the ground running in the majors yet imo. He spent the majority of the year in AAA this past season (324 PAs) and managed a 29.3% K rate and supported it with a very below-average 14.7% swinging-strike rate (note that MLB average this past year was 10.7%) which suggests that he would be overmatched in the majors currently. Now Riley has consistently produced great BAPIP numbers and he has good BAPIP traits including a high line-drive rate, the ability to use the whole field, a quality eye at the plate to avoid swinging at too many pitches that he can’t handle, and the ability to impact the baseball to all fields when he does make contact and so he may not need to be a great contact hitter to produce quality slash lines in the majors. The contact skills do concern me though as there are not many comparables with those sort of contact skills and BAPIP reliance right now in the majors. Him going back to AAA and honing his contact skills and approach while also securing the team benefits of holding him back in the minors (extra year of control and potentiall $ savings) seems like the likely outcome at this point. That means sometime between Mid-June and September is his likely ETA.
Thanks for the reply. That makes a lot of sense. I can never remember when the cutoff days are for holding a player down and retaining them for an extra year of service time. Some guys go in the middle of April like Kris Bryant, some guys get held until June like George Springer. I think you’re evaluation of the situation is highly likely. Seems like honing his skills in AAA wouldn’t hurt him at all and it would protect the Braves for another year. I’m going to hope he gets the call sometime around July. If he doesn’t get it until September, I’m afraid he will probably have struggled. Thank!
I know Willie Calhoun is over limits, but what are your thoughts on him going forward? How do you project his SwSt%, K%, can he hit lefties, and any guess if he breaks camp with 2019 Rangers. Thanks.
Why so low on Josh James? You would rather have Touki?
Curious why the projected ETA for Kopech is 2020. Do you think he gets MLB service time in 2019?
Tommy John surgery was in September so he’s definitely out for the season
Reyes has 50 innings pitched
He has to exceed 50 IP to not qualify as a prospect so he still retains that status
He has to exceed 50 IP to not qualify as a prospect so he still retains that status