When I saw the news that Blake Snell was going to start against the New York Yankees, my first thought was, “Potentially elite left-handed pitching prospect debuting against a team that just struggled against lefty Rich Hill?! I know who I’m starting in DraftKings on Saturday!” As it turned out, Snell looked a little shaky in his first inning of work, but he certainly did not disappoint and proved to be a fine choice for DraftKings.

Welcome to Week 4 of our fantasy baseball impact prospects power rankings. To be clear, this list is not the top 30 prospects in baseball. This is a list of the top 30 prospects who are likely going to rise to the major leagues and provide fantasy baseball value this season. The qualifications are simple: a player must not be on an active roster, they must have a clear path to the majors, and while they may have played in seasons prior to 2016, they must still have rookie eligibility. If a player is moved to the active roster of their team, they will be removed from this power rankings list and replaced.

Editors Note: Check out all of RotoBaller's MLB prospects analysis here. You can also head over to the prospect rankings dashboard. Our Rankings Assistant is a handy free tool where you can find team-specific prospect breakdowns, tiered positional rankings, 500+ player outlooks, dynasty ranks and more - all in one easy place.

 

Top MLB Prospects - Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings

1. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 60 PA, .231/.317/.481, 3 HR, 0 SB, 21.7% K rate, 11.7% BB rate
ETA: Mid-May
The Astros have an interesting situation on their hands. They have three players who can rake and really can only play first base or designated hitter. Sure Evan Gattis can catch and Tyler White can play third, but both are atrocious defensively at this point in their career. The Astros will have to find a way to make things work though as A.J. Reed appears to be on the brink of reaching the majors. He is one of the most potent bats in the minors and could have a serious impact both on the Astros and on fantasy owners. Reed may not reach the majors until he starts raking a bit more at Triple-A, but I believe that he will be up at the very latest around the middle of June. He is worth stashing in 10+ team leagues and should be owned in all leagues once he is promoted.

2. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 15.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 11.40 K/9, 3.60 BB/9, 0.60 HR/9
ETA: Mid May
As of right now, all the arms in the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation (outside of Gerrit Cole) are pitching quite badly. Francisco Liriano will rebound, but the others are legitimate question marks. Juan Nicasio has an ERA over 4.50 and a FIP of 4.57, Jeff Locke has a 7.24 ERA and 6.80 FIP, and Jon Niese has a 4.24 ERA and 5.42 FIP. Tyler Glasnow has proven in both this season and the last that he is ready to face Major League pitching and the Pirates may have to pull the trigger on him sooner rather than later as they currently sit in fourth in the NL Central with an even 9-9 record. Glasnow is an absolute must-own and must-stash in all leagues. Though I’m sure the Pirates would like to wait until June to promote the young right-hander, their pitching woes may force their hand early.

3. Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS, AA)
Stats: 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 6.94 K/9, 6.17 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Early June
What if I told you that entering May, Max Scherzer would be the worst statistical starter for the 2016 Washington Nationals? You probably wouldn’t believe me, but there you have it. What does that mean for Lucas Giolito? It means that he may have his promotion deadline pushed back a bit. With Tanner Roark now pitching quite well and Joe Ross looking like a complete beast on the mound, the back two arms in the Nats rotation look formidable. The Nationals will eventually look to upgrade (likely over Roark) in their rotation, but the solid pitching means the Nats can try to keep Giolito in the minors long enough to hold off his Super Two status a bit longer. Make no mistake, Giolito will be in the majors this season and his arm is worthy of stashing. He is a can’t miss pitching prospect.

4. Blake Snell (SP, TB, AAA)
Stats: 14.1 IP, 2.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP, 13.19 K/9, 4.40 BB/9, 0.63 HR/9
ETA: Late May
Blake Snell was briefly promoted for a start against the Yankees and he gave fans a taste of what may be to come in the near future. He went five innings, surrendered only one run on two hits and one walk while punching out six. Though he looked a little bit wild in the beginning of the game (a couple wild pitches and some loud outs by the Yankees), Snell really settled down in the later part of the game. The Rays have made clear that Snell is their sixth man moving forward and that in itself makes him worth stashing. Fantasy owners should expect him to be in the rotation before the end of June at the latest and should expect near elite fantasy production from the young left-hander.

5. Trea Turner (SS, WAS, AAA)
Stats: 70 PA, .377/.457/.574, 2 HR, 6 SB, 15.7% K rate, 12.9% BB rate
ETA: Mid-May
Of the current Nationals’ players with more than 20 PA, only Michael Taylor has a lower WAR than Danny Espinosa. Though the lack of production from Espinosa has certainly not hurt the Nationals too much as they currently sit at a 13-4 record, the position of shortstop could certainly benefit from a spark. Trea Turner has been outstanding in his limited time at Triple-A this season. He has flashed his strong hitting ability and his near-elite speed as he has already swiped six bags this season. With the Nationals clearly doing fine without Turner, expect them to wait before pulling the trigger on a promotion for the 22-year-old shortstop. He is worth stashing in 14+ team leagues and would definitely be worth owning in all leagues once promoted to the majors.

6. Jose Berrios (SP, MIN, AAA)
Stats: 17.0 IP, 1.06 ERA, 2.77 FIP, 10.59 K/9, 4.24 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Mid-May
Though the walks have been a bit of an early concern, Jose Berrios has still looked nearly spotless in his 2016 season. Opponents are currently batting a miniscule .143 against the right-hander and they are striking out 30.3% of the time. Couple this with the fact that neither Kyle Gibson nor Tommy Milone have been particularly sharp this season and you’ve got a starting pitcher who could see the majors before June. It was widely speculated that Berrios was only sent down to the minors to do some polishing up and to retain an extra year of control for the Twins. He is worthy of stashing in most fantasy leagues as it will not be long before he reaches the bigs.

Update 4/27: With both Ervin Santana and Kyle Gibson hitting the DL, Jose Berrios has been called up and will make his major league debut on Wednesday versus the Indians. He should be added in all leagues

7. Jose Peraza (2B, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 65 PA, .281/.339/.333, 0 HR, 1 SB, 16.9% K rate, 7.7% BB rate
ETA: Mid-May
It has really been quite a miserable start to the 2016 season for the Reds as they have no stability in their pitching staff, they have been absolutely demolished by the Cubs this season, and Joey Votto has really scuffled to begin the season. And while the promotion of Jose Peraza would not change this dumpster fire of a season for the Reds, it certainly would improve this struggling team. And with the way Billy Hamilton has been playing on the season, fantasy owners should not be surprised to see Peraza take over in centerfield for the Reds in the event of his promotion. He is not necessarily worth stashing, but his stolen base upside makes him worth owning in 10+ team fantasy leagues.

8. Willson Contreras (C, CHC, AAA)
Stats: 57 PA, .373/.421/.451, 0 HR, 1 SB, 12.3% K rate, 7.0% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
The Cubs just continue to roll through teams like nothing, but (as crazy as it sounds) there is still some room for improvement. Their starting catcher, Miguel Montero, has really struggled out of the gate (.233/.346/.372 slash line with only one home run and an enormous 28.8% strikeout rate) and has really struggled to hit lefties this season (batting .167/.167/.167 versus southpaws). But with Willson Contreras mashing the way he is in the minors, it may not be long that the Cubs continue to view the catcher spot as a weakness in their lineup. Following a tremendous 2015 campaign that skyrocketed him among most prospect lists, Contreras has continue to rake even at the highest level of the minors. He could provide both the Cubs and fantasy owners with some serious contributions behind the plate. Though not necessarily worth stashing, Contreras would absolutely be worth owning in all leagues if promoted to the majors.

9. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 63 PA, .304/.349/.393, 1 HR, 0 SB, 9.5% K rate, 7.9% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
At this point, it looks almost like a guarantee that Arcia will reach the majors by the middle of June. As soon as the Brewers reach a point where there are only 139 days left in their season (which should be around the middle of June), I feel almost certain that they will promote their star shortstop. Arcia provides a little bit of pop (do not expect much in that department however), some well above-average speed (capable of snagging at least 15 bases in half a season), and a very decent batting average for fantasy owners. The 21-year-old shortstop would likely bat at or near the top of the order for the Brew Crew, making him an even more attractive fantasy option. As we get closer to June, owners should start deciding which player it is they will drop to make room for their young shortstop because he is too tremendous of a talent not to own.

10. Peter O’Brien (C/OF, ARI, AAA)
Stats: 61 PA, .305/.311/.508, 3 HR, 0 SB, 27.9% K rate, 1.6% BB rate
ETA: Early June
With the Diamondbacks outfield looking a little bit worse for wear without their star centerfielder, A.J. Pollock, talks have started to arise that there could be a possible Peter O’Brien promotion in the near future. There are a lot of reasons to be concerned about O’Brien, however. First, he strikes out a lot and does not take a lot of walks. Second, his experience in the outfield is limited and many consider him to be a well below average defender which would likely limit his playing time. And third, he still would likely split time with guys like Socrates Brito and Brandon Drury. However, what O’Brien does have for fantasy owners is the ability to qualify as a catcher. Oh and power, lots of power. Combine those two things and you have a very promising fantasy player. Fantasy owners would be wise to wait and see not only if O’Brien will be promoted, but what kind of playing time he will receive.

11. John Lamb (SP, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 5.2 IP, 19.06 ERA, 2.48 FIP, 11.12 K/9, 3.18 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Early May
I don’t know if I mentioned this, but the Reds season has been a dumpster fire to this point in the season. Outside of Brandon Finnegan and Raisel Iglesias, the Reds have not had many quality outings from their starting pitchers as Alfredo Simon, Jon Moscot, and Tim Melville have all shown significant struggles this season. And while John Lamb has certainly not provided the Reds with enticing results in his two rehab starts in Triple-A, he would certainly be an improvement in the Reds rotation. As of right now, there is no guarantee that he will return to the Reds rotation, but I would imagine he will put together a quality outing his next time out and gets the call to replace Moscot or Dan Straily. With his strikeout upside, he is worth owning in leagues with more than 12 teams.

12. Robert Stephenson (SP, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 6.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.53 FIP, 10.50 K/9, 1.50 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Mid-June
Stephenson made yet another start in the big leagues and showed even more promise for the Reds. The 23-year-old right-hander went seven innings, surrendering one run on three hits and two walks to a hot Colorado Rockies team. Though he only managed three strikeouts in his outing, Stephenson should be able to rack up more as he continues to mature. Just as Blake Snell is now unofficially named the sixth man of the Rays rotation, so too has Stephenson been named the sixth man for the Reds rotation. With his upside as a two or three starter, Stephenson should be considered a must own in most leagues if promoted and inserted into the Reds rotation for good.

13. Joe Musgrove (SP, HOU, AA)
Stats: 12.1 IP, 0.73 ERA, 2.52 FIP, 10.22 K/9, 1.46 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9
ETA: Mid-June
As the Houston Astros continue to struggle with their pitching staff (4.94 ERA which is fourth worst in the majors), 23-year-old Joe Musgrove has thoroughly dominated Double-A to this point in the season. After proving himself ready to face more advanced pitching after tearing through A-ball and High-A last season, Musgrove looks about ready to receive another promotion and help out the big league club. Though it likely will not happen until June, a call up for the young starting pitcher could really help both the Astros and fantasy owners willing to add him off the waiver wire. Musgrove is no future ace, but he has enough value to warrant owning in 12+ team leagues.

14. Josh Bell (1B, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 62 PA, .308/.419/.596, 3 HR, 1 SB, 14.5% K rate, 16.1% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
It was simply not enough that John Jaso had to start off the year playing well, now Sean Rodriguez is really starting to swing the bat. Both are hitting above .300 and are reaching base more than 40% of the time. Oh yeah, but Josh Bell has been pretty good too. He only hit for the cycle last Friday. No big deal.

This season, Bell has really started to flash some of that power scouts have been raving about since he was drafted as he has already hit three home runs in 14 games (he hit seven in 131 games last season). With the current Pirates first basemen hitting as well as they are, it is definitely looking like a promotion from Josh Bell could be held back for a little while. The 23-year-old first baseman has proven in the minors that he is ready to face some big league pitching and should be hitting for the big league club before we get too deep in the summer. If he continues to show power, he could be worth owning in leagues with 12 or more teams.

15. Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL, A+)
Stats: 77 PA, .338/.416/.515, 1 HR, 4 SB, 16.9% K rate, 11.7% BB rate
ETA: Early August
Part of my earlier theory about why I could theoretically see Swanson reaching the majors is because of a trade at the deadline sending Erick Aybar away. At this point, Aybar has tanked his value so much that he may not be worth a penny in July. This certainly does not mean that fantasy owners should be concerned about Swanson not reaching the majors. Though he is still only in High-A, Swanson is a tremendous enough talent and has put together positive enough results to likely warrant a promotion to Double-A within the next month or so. If he continues to hit there, the likelihood of fantasy owners seeing him in the majors really increases. The only question is whether or not he will be promoted, but if the answer to that question is yes, Swanson becomes a must own shortstop in all fantasy leagues.

16. Josh Hader (SP, MIL, AA)
Stats: 13.0 IP, 0.69 ERA, 2.14 FIP, 13.15 K/9, 4.15 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Mid-July
When the season began, I would have told you that Jorge Lopez was the most likely of the two Brewers’ pitching prospects to reach the majors first. Now it is beginning to look like Hader could be the guy ready to make an immediate impact. After returning to Double-A to begin the season, Hader is picking up right where he left off and continuing to decimate opposing lineups. He is not quite worth stashing as there is a chance that the Brewers promote Lopez first or just stick with their current rotation, but Hader would be worth owning if called up to the big league squad.

17. Colin Moran (3B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 56 PA, .294/.339/.392, 1 HR, 2 SB, 26.8% K rate, 7.1% BB rate
ETA: Early June
Moran is just on the cusp of reaching the majors. According to the Astros general manager, Moran is an injury or a slump away from a promotion to the big league club. Moran has historically been an on-base machine, capable of taking walks and praised for his advanced plate discipline and ability to consistently hit line drives. He has plenty of raw power that he could theoretically tap into, but fantasy owners should expect him to be more of a .280+ batting average type of guy only. For teams in need of third base help, there are few third base prospects with more potential 2016 value than him. He should definitely be owned in all leagues with more than 12 teams.

18. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 16.1 IP, 1.65 ERA, 1.58 FIP, 8.82 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: Mid-July
As discussed earlier in the Tyler Glasnow write-up, the Pirates rotation has really struggled this season and it could lead to some fresh faces joining the ranks in a few weeks. The first guy to be promoted will be Glasnow, but he will be followed shortly thereafter by Taillon. After recovering from several injuries that have cost him two whole seasons of development, the former second overall pick has dominated Triple-A and has impressed everyone watching him throw. Fantasy owners should take note of the production in the minors as he could actually be able to live up to the hype. Though not as talented as his teammate, Taillon would still represent an upgrade over many back of the rotation arms for fantasy owners and definitely warrants owning if promoted.

19. Jorge Lopez (SP, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 11.1 IP, 7.94 ERA, 5.58 FIP, 9.53 K/9, 7.94 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9
ETA: Early August
The sixth NL Central pitcher to be in the Top 20, Lopez certainly could be viewed as one of the best in terms of pure talent and upside. The 23-year-old right-hander has three above-average pitches and has made great strides in improving his command over the past few seasons to the point where he now looks like a top of the rotation arm. Lopez has really scuffled in the early goings of this 2016 season, but so has most of the Milwaukee Brewers rotation. Though it now looks like lefty Josh Hader will get time in the majors first, I would be surprised if Lopez is not starting for the Brewers by the middle of August.

20. Mark Appel (SP, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 16.2 IP, 1.62 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 7.56 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, 0.54 HR/9
ETA: Early August
You would be hard-pressed to find a more disappointing pitching prospect over the past few seasons than Mark Appel. After being drafted in the first round twice, the right-hander has disappointed at almost every level he has been at to this point in his professional career. That has all changed since the move to Philadelphia. Now, Appel seems to have mastered his command issues and is giving up less hard contact and still generating solid strikeout numbers. Though the Phillies rotation has pitched well this year, many of their young arms will be on a strict innings limit, giving Appel a chance to start as early as August. If he reaches the majors, it would be best to observe a few starts if you are in a shallower league, but deep league owners should take the risk and bank on him finally putting everything together. If he reaches his full potential, Appel could be something really special.

21. Michael Reed (OF, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 57 PA, .313/.421/.333, 0 HR, 5 SB, 21.1% K rate, 15.8% BB rate
ETA: Late May

22. Jesse Winker (OF, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 62 PA, .302/.387/.321, 0 HR, 0 SB, 9.7% K rate, 12.9% BB rate
ETA: Late June

23. Jeff Hoffman (SP, COL, AAA)
Stats: 16.2 IP, 1.62 ERA, 4.78 FIP, 7.56 K/9, 3.24 BB/9, 1.08 HR/9
ETA: Early June

24. Joey Gallo (3B/OF, TEX, AAA)
Stats: 65 PA, .283/.400/.660, 5 HR, 0 SB, 23.1% K rate, 16.9% BB rate
ETA: Late July

25. Gary Sanchez (C, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 53 PA, .265/.321/.551, 2 HR, 1 SB, 18.9% K rate, 5.7% BB rate
ETA: Late July

26. Michael Fulmer (SP, DET, AAA)
Stats: 15.1 IP, 4.11 ERA, 4.47 FIP, 11.74 K/9, 2.93 BB/9, 1.76 HR/9
ETA: Early July

27. Rymer Liriano (OF, MIL, 60-day DL)
Stats: NA
ETA: Early August

28. Lewis Brinson (OF, TEX, AA)
Stats: 51 PA, .267/.333/.467, 1 HR, 3SB, 13.7%, 5.9%
ETA: Early September

29. Aaron Judge (OF, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 68 PA, .302/.324/.460, 2 HR, 1 SB, 30.9% K rate, 4.4% BB rate
ETA: Early September

30. Sean Manaea (SP, OAK, AAA)
Stats: 18.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 10.50 K/9, 2.00 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9
ETA: Early August

Update: Sean Manaea will start on Friday for the Oakland Athletics. With his strikeout potential, he is a must own player for that start at the very least. It awaits to be seen whether or not that will be his only start at the big league level or if he is going to stay in the A's rotation.

MLB Rookie Rankings

1. Corey Seager (SS, LAD)

2. Kenta Maeda (SP, LAD)

3. Byung-Ho Park (1B, MIN)

4. Steven Matz (SP, NYM)

5. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU)

6. Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS)

7. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT)

8. Trevor Story (SS, COL)

9. Nomar Mazara (OF, TEX)

10. Byron Buxton (OF, MIN)

11. Trea Turner (SS, WAS)

12. Blake Snell (SP, TB)

13. Jose Berrios (SP, MIN)

14. Tyler White (1B/3B, HOU)

15. Aledmys Diaz (SS, STL)

16. Jon Gray (SP, COL)

17. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL)

18. Jose Peraza (2B, CIN)

19. John Lamb (SP, CIN)

20. Tyler Naquin (OF, CLE)

 

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