Hello everyone, and welcome to my weekly Top-30 Fantasy Rankings for Impact Rookies! In this series, I will be going over the top prospects in baseball and discussing which ones figure to have an impact for the rest of this fantasy baseball season.

We are less than a week away from the start of the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Are you all excited?! I know I am! It’s always a fun/unpredictable time of year where just about any team could make shocking decisions that take everyone by surprise. Who will go first? Will it be the year the first-ever high-school right-hander is taken with Hunter Greene? Will it be the best two-way player since Dave Winfield in Louisville 1B/LHP Brendan McKay? Or will the consensus favorite and arguably best college pitcher in Kyle Wright be the Twins’ guy?

While we don’t know just yet who will be selected first overall, it is safe to say none of them are going to have an impact this season. At least, not a major impact. There’s only a handful of players from that draft class I could see reaching the majors this season, and none would have big roles. But there are plenty of players who have already heard their name called on draft day who could be valuable to owners this season. To find out which players they are, you’ll have to keep reading.

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Top MLB Prospects - Fantasy Baseball 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.

 

1. Yoan Moncada (2B/3B, CWS, AAA)
Stats: 205 PA, .285/.366/.436, 6 HR, 12 SB, 11.7% BB rate, 27.9% K rate
ETA: Late June
Remember when the minors looked really easy for Moncada? Before his injury? Well, it’s not looking so easy anymore for the top prospect in baseball. Since being activated from the DL on May 26, he is slashing .125/.250/.200 in 11 games with a 14.6 percent walk rate, a 29.2 percent strikeout rate, no homers and only two stolen bases. Should owners be hitting the panic button? Not just yet. Though it is concerning, he is still loaded with talent and scouts still see him having an impact this season. But another week like this could see a change at the top of this list . . .

2. Franklin Barreto (2B/SS, OAK, AAA)
Stats: 235 PA, .284/.325/.463, 7 HR, 3 SB, 4.7% BB rate, 29.4% K rate
ETA: Mid-July
And while Barreto could be that new guy at the top, he has also struggled significantly since May 26. He has just one homer and a caught stealing over that time period with an ugly .162/.162/.297 slash line and hideous 40.5 percent strikeout rate. Needless to say, it has been a week to forget for Barreto.

But like with Moncada, owners should not panic just yet. As far as I know, nothing has changed yet with the Oakland front office and plans are still in place to promote the 21-year-old to the majors if Jed Lowrie is traded. If his struggles linger, his stock might fall, but I need to see more than a weeks worth of struggles from a guy who has been on fire for much of this season before selling all of Barreto’s stock.

3. Austin Meadows (OF, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 233 PA, .256/.318/.365, 3 HR, 9 SB, 8.2% BB rate, 18.0% K rate
ETA: Late June/Early July
One guy who has been trending in the opposite direction of the aforementioned middle-infielders is Pirates outfielder Austin Meadows. The 22-year-old got off to a terrible start at Triple-A this season, but since the start of May, he owns a .295/.361/.434 slash line with a pair of homers and seven stolen bases. A spot in the outfield is already open for him given Starling Marte’s suspension, and even when Marte returns, a trade of Andrew McCutchen could open up a more permanent spot in the Pittsburgh outfield for the talented prospect.

4. Lewis Brinson (OF, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 184 PA, .310/.397/.510, 6 HR, 7 SB, 10.9% BB rate, 22.3% K rate
ETA: Mid-July
Keon Broxton is back on another cold streak. Over the past two weeks, he is slashing just .143/.250/.357 with a 39.6 percent strikeout rate. Meanwhile, over that same period, Brinson has amassed a solid .300/.378/.550 slash line with a pair of homers and stolen bases. Unfortunately though, Brinson has new competition. Brett Phillips was promoted, and though he no longer looks like the top prospect he was viewed as a couple seasons ago, he still will provide Brinson with plenty of competition for time in that outfield. A trade of Ryan Braun could really solve all the issues, and it’s likely that is Brinson’s clearest path to playing time at this point.

5. Tom Murphy (C, COL, AAA)
Stats: 6 PA, .000/.000/.000, 0 HR, 0 SB, 0.0% BB rate, 33.3% K rate
ETA: Late June
Murphy has begun his Triple-A rehab! For all those who have stashed him over all this time, the ending to his long absence appears to be coming to an end. He will likely be eased back into any role with the club, and may not have a full starting role of backstop until August. But with his power upside, owners can be satisfied with a guy playing every three or four days if he is able to make enough contact to put his power to good use.

6. Gleyber Torres (SS/3B, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 188 PA, .269/.378/.463, 6 HR, 7 SB, 13.8% BB rate, 18.1% K rate
ETA: Late July
It is clear that what was once a fantasy owners dream is starting to look more and more like a reality. According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, the Yankees are planning on calling up Torres to serve as their third baseman if over the next two months, he can appear MLB ready at the hot corner. Now Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs recently said that Torres still has a lot of work to do defensively before he is at that point, but with a player as talented as Torres, it is impossible to put anything past him this early. If he does get the promotion, expect some elite production from a rookie as few can match his advanced approach in the minors.

7. Rhys Hoskins (1B, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 231 PA, .301/.398/.602, 13 HR, 2 SB, 13.4% BB rate, 15.6% K rate
ETA: Late June
As expected, Tommy Joseph has gone back to struggling at the dish. He is now slashing just .222/.254/.476 over his past 18 games, though he does have five homers. And while Hoskins himself has not been tearing it up over that time span, his overall numbers remain incredibly impressive, especially his BB:K ratio (0.86). Hoskins has come from a guy viewed as a product of a hitter-friendly Double-A environment to one of the top first base prospects in the game. It is a good idea to stash him now as he could be starting in Philadelphia before the end of the month.

8. Reynaldo Lopez (SP, CWS, AAA)
Stats: 59.0 IP, 3.81 ERA, 4.12 FIP, 23.4% K rate, 10.5% BB rate, 8.5% HR/FB, .228 AVG
ETA: Late June
After Lopez’s really rough outing on May 26, he bounced back well in his start on May 31, allowing just one earned run over six innings on five hits, one walk with six punchouts. His first two starts of the season put his ERA at an ugly 6.48, but since then, he has a 3.37 ERA and 3.59 FIP and has only allowed more than two earned runs on two occasions. At this point, it’s probably only a matter of time until Lopez is promoted, and his strikeout upside makes him an enticing own in mixed leagues.

9. Derek Fisher (OF, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 244 PA, .338/.399/.603, 14 HR, 10 SB, 8.2% BB rate, 20.5% K rate
ETA: Mid-July
Fun fact of the day: Fisher is the first player in Triple-A to reach double-digits in both home runs and stolen bases. That should tell you the most important thing about Fisher right off the bat: he has an exciting power/speed combination. The Astros have remained reluctant to promote him, but with guys like Nori Aoki and Carlos Beltran struggling in their lineup on a regular basis, Fisher could eventually be viewed as a future in-house replacement for some struggling bats. For fantasy owners who want to stash him, it should be seen as encouragement that even if Fisher isn’t promoted by Houston, many speculate he is their top trade chip and could be a starter with almost any team out there.

10. Amed Rosario (SS, NYM, AAA)
Stats: 252 PA, .345/.385/.500, 5 HR, 11 SB, 6.0% BB rate, 16.7% K rate
ETA: Mid-Late-July
Rosario has been hitting on another planet this whole season, and that trend has just continued into May. Though the .308 batting average does not stand out, he has launched four homers since the start of May and he added four stolen bases to his total as well. And with both Asdrubal Cabrera and Jose Reyes currently owning negative WARs for the big-league ballclub, Rosario could be considered an eventual savior for the club once they feel he is fully ready. Though some were skeptical of his hot start in April, many evaluators now believe that he simply is advanced for his age and might be ready to take his talent to the big-league level.

11. Zack Burdi (RP, CWS, AAA)
Stats: 21.1 IP, 4.64 ERA, 2.19 FIP, 32.0% K rate, 10.0% BB rate, 0.0% HR/FB, .241 AVG
ETA: Early July
Burdi had another not-so-pretty outing his last time out, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks in an inning of work on June 4. And while it has still only been three rough outings for the reliever in his 19 appearances, it should still serve as an element of caution for Burdi that he is not quite ready for the closer’s role in Chicago. But with a firesale of relievers likely to come from the South Side of Chicago, Burdi could see the list of competition evaporate in July, leaving him as a possible candidate for saves in August and September.

12. Matt Chapman (3B, OAK, AAA)
Stats: 172 PA, .253/.331/.580, 13 HR, 4 SB, 10.5% BB rate, 33.1% K rate
ETA: Mid-Late-July
The second Athletics player likely to benefit from the team’s plans at the trade deadline, Chapman could join Barreto in the majors should Trevor Plouffe join Jed Lowrie on the team’s trade block. Chapman has continued to produce much of the same at Triple-A that he has throughout his MiLB career: homers, outstanding defense and strikeouts. But with the amount of raw power that he has, he could be a valuable home run and RBI asset to fantasy owners if he receives the call up to the majors.

13. Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 61.2 IP, 3.36 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 23.3% K rate, 6.7% BB rate, 9.5% HR/FB, .233 AVG
ETA: Late June
Woodruff began the season as one of the minors’ most consistent pitchers, but has struggled as of late to keep that consistency going. He delivered six scoreless innings of one-hit baseball against Nashville on May 28, but gave up four runs over 5.1 innings on June 3. At this point though, some of his struggles can be chalked up to a brutal home ballpark for pitchers, but his home/road splits aren’t startling (3.48 ERA at home and 3.21 ERA on the road). He remains the top Brewers pitching prospect to own so long as Josh Hader continues to struggle as mightily as he has. And if he can string together a couple more solid outings in June, he could be a potential call up to replace one of the struggling Milwaukee arms.

14. Ronald Guzman (1B, TEX, AAA)
Stats: 234 PA, .292/.359/.420, 5 HR, 1 SB, 8.1% BB rate, 15.4% K rate
ETA: Mid-Late-July
Mike Napoli was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday, leaving a new hole open at first base for the Rangers. Joey Gallo and Ryan Rua are expected to take the bulk of the playing time at first in his absence, but an extended leave for Napoli/possible trade of either him or designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo could give Guzman a chance to start in the majors. And while Texas would probably like to see Guzman hit for some more pop before calling him up to play a premier power position, there is no doubt his plate discipline at only 22 years old has been impressive enough to warrant consideration.

15. Brian Johnson (SP, BOS, AAA)
Stats: 46.1 IP, 2.72 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 21.2% K rate, 8.6% BB rate, 3.4% HR/FB, .249 AVG
ETA: This week
As it stands right now, Johnson is the reported front-runner to head up to Beantown to replace the injured Eduardo Rodriguez in the team’s rotation, Scott Lauber of ESPN reported Tuesday. Johnson looked really sharp in his spot start against Seattle, scattering five hits over a complete-game shutout that saw him walk none and fan eight. And while some may be skeptical of the 26-year-old former prospect, Johnson’s numbers at Triple-A this season largely suggest he has put his command issues behind him and has started to dominate the strike zone again. As a guy who could be in the majors for a few weeks, Johnson could have some potential value to fantasy owners looking for starting pitching depth, especially if he is able to replicate his Triple-A success in the majors.

16. Rafael Devers (3B, BOS, AA)
Stats: 202 PA, .308/.371/.544, 10 HR, 0 SB, 9.4% BB rate, 19.3% K rate
ETA: Late July
What a week for Devers. Since May 31, Devers has bashed a pair of homers, owns a .476/.542/.905 slash line and has gone a game without a hit only once over his six-game stretch. And while it’s never good to get super giddy over just a weeks worth of games, this whole season has been exciting for Devers as he has his highest batting average since rookie-league and is just one home run shy of tying his highest single-season total in the minors. Teams are understandably always reluctant to promote youngsters like the 20-year-old Devers too early, but with him crushing baseballs like he is and the Red Sox receiving some of the worst production out of third base of any team in baseball, Devers could be just the in-house solution they are looking for.

17. Jeimer Candelario (3B, CHC, AAA)
Stats: 185 PA, .281/.378/.556, 7 HR, 0 SB, 12.4% BB rate, 22.2% K rate
ETA: Early August
Another third base prospect, Candelario’s problem is not so much a reluctance to be called up, but rather no need for him on the big-league club. The Cubs obviously are fine at the corners, leaving Candelario’s fantasy value hinging entirely on a trade or an injury (neither of Chicago’s two starters have played in fewer than 140 games since taking over as full-time starters). My money is on Candelario finding himself on the trade block around the deadline, and he seems like a decent bet to receiving starting time wherever he goes. And with his potent bat, fantasy owners could benefit from him receiving regular playing time.

18. Luke Weaver (SP, STL, AAA)
Stats: 44.0 IP, 1.84 ERA, 2.83 FIP, 29.5% K rate, 4.2% BB rate, 7.3% HR/FB, .214 AVG
ETA: Late July
If Weaver was in the minors for any other team, there is a good chance he’d be in the majors by now. But alas, he pitches for St. Louis where they have five healthy, solid starting pitchers. Weaver deserves to be in the majors at this point, but it is clear the only chance he has right now of seeing time is if a starter is injured or if Weaver is traded. It is not safe to bet on either of those things necessarily coming true, so it is tough to recommend stashing Weaver at this time. But should anything happen to a St. Louis starter or rumors start circulating about a trade involving Weaver, he is arguably the top pitching prospect in all of baseball to own and would be valuable in all leagues.

19. Carson Kelly (C, STL, AAA)
Stats: 163 PA, .315/.399/.524, 7 HR, 0 SB, 11.0% BB rate, 13.5% K rate
ETA: Late July
Much like his teammate at Memphis, Kelly has earned every right to be in the majors to this point, but finds himself blocked by a healthy, reliable starter in the majors. Unfortunately for Kelly, that starter happens to be Cardinals franchise catcher Yadier Molina. And while Molina has struggled at the dish compared to previous seasons, he is not going to be uprooted any time soon. Should Molina find himself on the DL for an extended period of time, Kelly is likely the replacement behind the dish. And while Kelly could also find starting time if he is traded away, he is viewed as the heir to Molina at catcher and the Cardinals may not want to part with him just yet.

20. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 233 PA, .260/.352/.436, 7 HR, 0 SB, 12.4% BB rate, 27.9% K rate
ETA: Early August
Over the past week-and-a-half, Yulieski Gurriel has decided to turn his game up a notch. Since May 28, he is slashing .348/.385/.739 with a pair of long balls and a ridiculously low 11.5 percent strikeout rate. His overall season numbers don’t suggest he is running away with the first base job, but he has firmly cemented himself for the time-being as the starter at the position. And while Reed is having a solid season at the dish, he has not done enough to warrant a change in the depth chart. At this point, his value is probably going to have to come from either an injury to a starter in Houston or the use of Reed as a trade chip by the Astros’ front office. He is not a recommended stash at this point.

21. Chance Adams (SP, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 58.0 IP, 1.24 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 26.1% K rate, 9.7% BB rate, 5.4% HR/FB, .168 AVG
ETA: Early August

22. Nick Kingham (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 27.1 IP, 2.96 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 19.3% K rate, 7.0% BB rate, 2.9% HR/FB, .204 AVG
ETA: Early August

23. Brent Honeywell (SP, TB, AAA)
Stats: 60.2 IP, 4.45 ERA, 3.34 FIP, 29.4% K rate, 5.5% BB rate, 13.3% HR/FB, .255 AVG
ETA: Early August

24. Patrick Weigel (SP, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 62.0 IP, 3.77 ERA< 3.50 FIP, 20.8% K rate, 8.0% BB rate, 6.3% HR/FB, .259 AVG
ETA: Early August

25. Ozzie Albies (2B/SS, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 247 PA, .262/.311/.391, 3 HR, 15 SB, 6.1% BB rate, 20.6% K rate
ETA: Early September

26. Francis Martes (SP, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 32.1 IP, 5.29 ERA< 5.95 FIP, 23.3% K rate, 17.2% BB rate, 13.2% HR/FB, .296 AVG
ETA: Early September

27. Yandy Diaz (3B, CLE, AAA)
Stats: 135 PA, .313/.418/.420, 2 HR, 0 SB, 14.8% BB rate, 14.8% K rate
ETA: Early August

28. Dominic Smith (1B, NYM, AAA)
Stats: 255 PA, .311/.365/.472, 7 HR, 0 SB, 7.5% BB rate, 17.3% K rate
ETA: Early August

29. Tom Eshelman (SP, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 74.2 IP, 2.05 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 18.6% K rate, 3.2% BB rate, 8.0% HR/FB, .215 AVG
ETA: Early August

30. Lucas Sims (SP, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 61.0 IP, 4.13 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 24.7% K rate, 7.6% BB rate, 12.3% HR/FB, .223 AVG
ETA: Late July

 

MLB Rookie Rankings

1. Aaron Judge (OF, NYY)

2. Cody Bellinger (1B/OF, LAD)

3. Andrew Benintendi (OF, BOS)

4. Mitch Haniger (OF, SEA)

5. Chad Pinder (2B, OAK)

6. Jorge Bonifacio (OF, KC)

7. Koda Glover (RP, WAS)

8. Jordan Montgomery (SP, NYY)

9. Bradley Zimmer (OF, CLE)

10. German Marquez (SP, COL)

11. Jeff Hoffman (SP, COL)

12. Manuel Margot (OF, SD)

13. Ian Happ (2B/OF, CHC)

14. Antonio Senzatela (SP, COL)

15. Kyle Freeland (SP, COL)

16. Carl Edwards Jr. (RP, CHC)

17. Hunter Renfroe (OF, SD)

18. Matt Davidson (3B, CWS)

19. Ben Gamel (OF, SEA)

20. Ty Blach (SP, SF)