RADIO
It finally happened. Noah Syndergaard was called up to the Majors. Mets’ right-hander Dillon Gee was placed on the DL with groin issues and the Mets decided to give his spot in the rotation to Noah Syndergaard. It isn’t very surprising. Steve Matz has looked impressive, but he doesn’t have the same level of upside. Rafael Montero probably has a little bit more development left to go.
How long Syndergaard will be with the big club has yet to be decided, but he has a chance to establish himself as the next great starter for the Mets. As I have said in the last few prospect power rankings, with his upside, he should be owned in all leagues as he very well could turn out to be another ace for New York.
Editors Note: Check out all of RotoBaller’s MLB prospects analysis here.
Removed from the list
• Austin Hedges – called up
• Noah Syndergaard – called up
• Michael Taylor – called up
Major League Ready Prospect 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 2015, 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.
1. Carlos Correa (SS, HOU, AA) – LW: 1
Stats: 116 PA, .382/.457/.706, 6 HR, 13 SB, 18.1% K rate, 11.2% BB rate
ETA: Late May
Carlos Correa is said to be very close to Triple-A, indicating that the Astros are reaching the point where they are almost ready to make the call. The Astros wish to see how Correa handles better pitching, but if it is even close to how he tore up Double-A, he will probably be called up within the month.
2. Francisco Lindor (SS, CLE, AAA) – LW: 3
Stats: 109 PA, .242/.324/.337, 1 HR, 6 SB, 15.6% K rate, 11.0% BB rate
ETA: Mid May
The Indians’ still present search for a shortstop that can hit has a very easy answer: call up Francisco Lindor. Lindor may be regarded as a defensive-first shortstop, but he has double-digit power ability with easy speed. The Indians need a shortstop that can hit, a common problem in the MLB and fantasy baseball. For that reason, when the Indians call him up, he should be added if your fantasy league needs a solid offensive shortstop.
3. Rusney Castillo (OF, BOS, AAA) – LW: 4
Stats: 30 PA, .259/.333/.296, 0 HR, 2 SB, 10.0% K rate, 10.0% BB rate
ETA: Late May
Rusney Castillo is still the outfielder with the most tools in the Minors with the exception of Byron Buxton. The difference between Castillo and Buxton: Castillo is ready. He is about to enter the prime of his career and a move will be made soon to call up Castillo.
4. Steve Matz (SP, NYM, AAA) – LW: 5
Stats: 35.1 IP, 2.04 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 9.68 K/9, 3.82 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.19 WHIP
ETA: Late July
Steve Matz has the unfortunate predicament of being behind Noah Syndergaard in the Mets’ depth chart. Syndergaard will inevitably get the call up now that he is starting to play well and he has the higher ceiling, but Matz is just a tiny notch behind him. Matz has been able to consistently dominate in Triple-A Las Vegas and will be a real force if he gets called up. He isn’t a strikeout artist like Syndergaard, but he will limit runs and he will still be a better strikeout pitcher than just about anyone else left sitting on the waiver wire.
5. Maikel Franco (3B, PHI, AAA) – LW: 6
Stats: 119 PA, .327/.353/.496, 2 HR, 2 SB, 19.3% K rate, 4.2% BB rate
ETA: Mid June
The Phillies have insisted on multiple occasions that they are not going to call up Maikel Franco. His numbers, however, tell a different story. He has two stolen bases this season, but don’t let that deceive you. He has terrible speed. He makes up for it with great power that is capable of hitting 25 home runs in the Majors. His batting average is getting a boost from his current .393 BABIP, but he has the ability to hit in the upper .200s and could very possibly reach .300.
6. Daniel Norris (SP, TOR, AAA) – LW: NR
Stats: 23.1 IP, 3.86 ERA, 5.08 FIP, 6.94 K/9, 4.63 BB/9, 1.16 HR/9, 1.50 WHIP*
ETA: Mid May
Why is Daniel Norris on this list? On May 1, he was sent back down to Triple-A after starting the season with the Toronto Jays. Though he started the season at the MLB level, he would be able to maintain his rookie status for next season. There is a lot to like about Derek Norris as a starter. Many see him as the future ace of the Toronto Blue Jays due to his repertoire of four different pitches that he can throw effectively. His being sent down to the Minors should not deter fantasy owners from picking up the left-hander as it is only for him to work a bit on his command. His command has been decent in the past and it shouldn’t take too long before he gets brought back up to the Majors.
*These are his stats from 2015 in the Majors before he was sent down to Triple-A
7. Jose Peraza (2B, ATL, AAA) – LW: 9
Stats: 115 PA, .317/.358/.366, 0 HR, 10 SB, 8.7% K rate, 6.1% BB rate
ETA: Mid June
Jose Peraza has game-changing speed and has shown that so far at every level of his career. He has 11 stolen bases in 27 games at Triple-A this season; he had 25 stolen bases in 44 games of Double-A last year; and he had an additional 35 stolen bases in High-A last year. He has no power whatsoever and may hit an occasional home run in a season, but he will more than make up for it with his elite speed. He may have a tough time hitting for a high average to start, but fantasy owners would be wise to add him on their roster for his speed that could be used in a role similar to Billy Hamilton in 2013.
8. Brian Johnson (SP, BOS, AAA) – LW: 7
Stats: 23.2 IP, 3.42 ERA, 3.36 FIP, 10.27 K/9, 5.32 BB/9, 0.38 HR/9, 1.35 WHIP
ETA: Early June
He was roughed up a bit in his last start, but that won’t limit the quick ascension of Brian Johnson. His last game, he lasted only 2.2 innings, walking five, giving up six hits, and seven runs (all earned). His track-record is of a guy who won’t punch out a lot of batters, but he doesn’t give up any walks or home runs and figures to be a great starter when he is called up.
9. Andrew Heaney (SP, LAA, AAA) – LW: 11
Stats: 30.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 8.01 K/9, 2.08 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9, 1.52 WHIP
ETA: Early May
Andrew Heaney still has yet to bring his ERA down after his second start of the season when he lasted only .2 innings and gave up four earned, but that shouldn’t be a major detractor to him. All of his peripheral numbers have looked great to start the season and the major reason that his WHIP still looks bad is because of his .376 BABIP. The Angels find themselves in one of the most competitive divisions in baseball and could really benefit from an arm like Heaney and will probably add him to the rotation sooner rather than later.
10. Alex Meyer (SP, MIN, AAA) – LW: 8
Stats: 25.2 IP, 5.61 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 9.82 K/9, 6.31 BB/9, 0.35 HR/9, 1.79 WHIP
ETA: Late July
Alex Meyer’s biggest weakness this season has been lack of control, with a 6.31 BB/9. The bright spot on the year is that his stuff has looked very sharp and he has shown some of the elite strikeout abilities that will make him an ace in the future. His fastball looks sharp, his slider is the perfect complement to it, and his changeup is making great strides forward. As long as he struggles with control, he will remain in the Minors, but if called up he figures to be a great addition to a fantasy roster due to his ability to pile up the strikeouts and have an ERA in the low 3.00s.
11. Aaron Nola (SP, PHI, AA) – LW: 13
Stats: 31.2 IP, 2.27 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 5.97 K/9, 1.14 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9, 0.92 WHIP
ETA: Early August
Yes, Aaron Nola is only in Double-A. Yes, Nola was only drafted last season. But he has continuously demonstrated that he has elite control and MLB-ready stuff. I don’t speculate that he will be called up until Cole Hamels is dealt which at this point is a wild-card. He will never be a great strikeout pitcher, but he knows how to get outs and he won’t pitch himself into trouble, making him an attractive fantasy piece.
12. Marco Gonzales (SP, STL, AAA) – LW: 10
Stats: 16 IP, 4.50 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 7.31 K/9, 1.69 BB/9, 0.56 HR/9, 1.44 WHIP
ETA: Late May
When Adam Wainwright was injured, the only thing that kept Cardinals fans from having a heart attack was their starting pitching depth. Tim Cooney made the first start in place of Wainwright, struggled. Tyler Lyons made the next start in place of Wainwright, struggled. Marco Gonzales is now off the DL, and figures to be the next pitcher to be given a chance to take the position. Once off the DL, Gonzales will probably make one additional start at Triple-A, and then bring his elite stuff to the Major League rotation.
13. Domingo Santana (OF, HOU, AAA) – LW: 12
Stats: 94 PA, .277/.362/.614, 7 HR, 1 SB, 37.2% K rate, 11.7% BB rate
ETA: Mid June
Over the next few weeks, you may start to see Domingo Santana’s name in the Power Rankings drop. He has elite power, but a month into the season and he has somehow maintained a 37.2% K rate which is unacceptable. To add to his strikeout tendency, it appears that Preston Tucker has leap frogged him in the Astros’ outfield depth chart. Unless Santana can reduce the strikeouts, he may lose his chance to see constant MLB time this season.
14. Raisel Iglesias (SP/RP, CIN, AAA) – LW: 17
Stats: 16.1 IP, 3.31 ERA, 4.91 FIP, 3.31 K/9, 2.20 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9, 1.16 WHIP
ETA: Mid May
I’m counting the days until Kevin Gregg is DFA’d or released. He has an ERA of 10.13 in 10.2 innings. The Reds could find themselves in contention in a division that is looking weaker and weaker as the season drags on, and they will need a solid arm in the pen like Raisel Iglesias if they do intend to contend. Iglesias has demonstrated that he is Major League ready and could provide great strikeouts as the right-handed compliment to the other setup pitcher of the Reds, Tony Cingrani.
15. Mark Appel (SP, HOU, AA) – LW: 14
Stats: 21.2 IP, 4.57 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 7.48 K/9, 3.32 BB/9, 0.83 HR/9, 1.38 WHIP
ETA: Late May
General manager of the Houston Astors, Jeff Luhnow has already stated that Carlos Correa is closer to reaching the Majors than Mark Appel, which does not bode well for Appel. The Astros want to see Appel do more of dominating at the Double-A level before they think about promoting him to Triple-A, let alone the Majors and Appel hasn’t been exceptionally great this season. He will need to right the ship soon or he could see his waiver wire stock value drop soon.
16. Jon Gray (SP, COL, AAA) – LW: 15
Stats: 22.2 IP, 9.13 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 7.54 K/9, 3.57 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9, 2.03 WHIP
ETA: Early June
Jon Gray has received no help from his defense at Triple-A this season, as evidenced by his .443 BABIP. Otherwise he hasn’t been as bad as that ugly 9.13 ERA would indicate. The biggest plus on Gray is that he hasn’t given up many home runs which is a promising sign considering the ballpark he will soon call home. He will need to bring the walk totals down, but otherwise things look well for the Rockies right-hander.
17. Henry Owens (SP, BOS, AAA) – LW: 16
Stats: 27 IP, 3.67 ERA, 4.87 FIP, 7.33 K/9, 6.33 BB/9, 0.67 HR/9, 1.37 WHIP
ETA: Mid July
The Red Sox want to do nothing more than give Henry Owens the call up, but he needs to stop walking so many batters. If Owens demonstrates even a slight improvement on walk totals in his next three starts, he could be called up to help a Red Sox rotation that has just been dreadful this year.
18. Matt Wisler (SP, ATL, AAA) – LW: 21
Stats: 25.1 IP, 5.68 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 9.59 K/9, 2.13 BB/9, 1.07 HR/9, 1.58 WHIP
ETA: Early June
Matt Wisler has looked really good this season. The difference between the ERA and the FIP can definitely be explained by his .392 BABIP as all of his other numbers have looked really good. He is only 22-years-old and has a lot of potential behind four great pitches. He has thrown over 100 innings in each of his full seasons since being drafted by the Padres in 2011 and has shown excellent command and the ability to strike batters out, making him an attractive fantasy pick off the waiver wire.
19. Corey Seager (SS/3B, LAD, AAA) – LW: 30
Stats: 107 PA, .350/.383/.600, 5 HR, 1 SB, 14.0% K rate, 5.6% BB rate
ETA: Early September
When Corey Seager was sitting at Double-A, things did not look too promising for him to get the call up this season. It still doesn’t look like he will get a call up before September, but with his bat even a late call up like that gives him tremendous fantasy value. With Alex Guerrero performing very well and being able to play at third or short, he is currently the backup to an injury to Juan Uribe and Jimmy Rollins. But if there is an injury to both Rollins and Uribe, pick up Seager quickly as he is probably next in line and presents tremendous value.
20. Steven Moya (OF, DET, AAA) – LW: 19
Stats: 88 PA, .232/.261/.390, 3 HR, 0 SB, 29.5% K rate, 4.5% BB rate
ETA: Late June
Steven Moya is one of those prospects that is blocked at his position, but would be starting on most every other team. With the Rajai Davis/Anthony Gose combo in center, Yoenis Cespedes in left, and JD Martinez in right, there is just no spot for Moya. Rest assured, if either Cespedes or Martinez finds themselves on the DL, Moya will be the immediate replacement and will fill in nicely with his incredible power capability.
21. Buck Farmer (SP/RP, DET, AAA) – LW: 26
Stats: 26.1 IP, 4.10 ERA, 2.37 FIP, 10.94 K/9, 4.10 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.33 WHIP
ETA: Mid June
22. Kyle Crick (SP, SFG, AA) – LW: 20
Stats: 18.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 3.33 FIP, 13.50 K/9, 5.00 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9, 1.28 WHIP
ETA: Late June
23. Dylan Bundy (SP, BAL, AA)
Stats: 13.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, 1.82 FIP, 10.38 K/9, 2.08 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 0.92 WHIP
ETA: Mid August
24. Christian Walker (1B, BAL, AAA)
Stats: 113 PA, .245/.319/.333, 1 HR, 0 SB, 22.1% K rate, 9.7% BB rate
ETA: Late June
25. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT, -) – LW: 22
Stats: -
ETA: Early August
26. Miguel Sano (3B, MIN, AA) – LW: 23
Stats: 97 PA, .163/.299/.388, 5 HR, 2 SB, 28.9% K rate, 15.5% BB rate
ETA: Early June
27. Byron Buxton (OF, MIN, AA) – LW: 27
Stats: 106 PA, .274/.340/.505, 3 HR, 7 SB, 18.9% K rate, 9.4% BB rate
ETA: Early September
28. Braden Shipley (SP, ARI, AA) – LW: 29
Stats: 24.2 IP, 2.55 ERA, 5.08 FIP, 6.57 K/9, 4.38 BB/9, 1.09 HR/9, 1.26 WHIP
ETA: Late August
29. Kyle Kubitza (3B, LAA, AAA) – LW: NR
Stats: 121 PA, .304/.355/.491, 1 HR, 1 SB, 25.6% K rate, 6.6% BB rate
ETA: Late July
30. Cam Bedrosian (RP, LAA, AAA) – LW: NR
Stats: 12.1 IP, 2.19 ERA, 1.80 FIP, 11.68 K/9, 1.46 BB/9, 0 HR/9, 1.14 WHIP
ETA: Early June
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