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Marc Hulet's top 30 fantasy baseball prospects rankings list for Week 21. These MLB rookies, prospects and call-ups should make impacts in 2019 redraft leagues.
Well, we hope you’ve been reading this series all season long because we’ve introduced you to a plethora of players that have impacted the Majors Leagues this season… and this past week may have been the busiest one all year. Last week’s list saw six players receive a promotion within the past seven days.
Five of the players brought up to The Show were pitchers: Lewis Thorpe, Bryse Wilson, Jonathan Loaisiga, Tony Gonsolin, and most recently A.J. Puk. Outfielder Jake Fraley was the lone position player to receive the call. As a result of the movement (and one player who fell off the list), seven new prospects were added to the list. Those players come from a number of different organizations including the Athletics, Rays, Mariners, Tigers, Orioles, Blue Jays and Giants.
While all the players list below have a chance to make some sort of impact in the Majors throughout the remainder of the season, you definitely want to have players from the Top 10 safely stashed as you await their impending promotions.
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Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (1-10)
1. Kyle Tucker, OF/1B, Astros (AAA) (ETA: August)
Tucker has started taking reps at first base as the Astros look for added ways to get his bat into the lineup when he reaches the Majors later this month or in September. He’s hitting .278 with two home runs and four steals over his past 10 games. He now has 32 home runs and 28 steals on the season as he closes in on a 30-30 (HR-SB) season at the age of 22.
2. Gavin Lux, SS, Dodgers (AAA) (ETA: August)
The Dodgers’ front office recently said it was undecided on Lux’s September fate but it’s hard to ignore a 1.262 OPS in 40 Triple-A games. He has a chance to be more impactful off the bench than Jedd Gyorko, or Kris Negron, and he’s more versatile than Matt Beaty.
3. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, Rays (AAA) (ETA: August)
Lowe continues to say “Don’t forget about me!” at the Triple-A level. The hulking first baseman is hitting .366 with two home runs and a BB-K of 5-7 over his past 10 games. Lowe has the potential to hit for average, power and produce excellent on-base numbers. If he receives enough playing time in September, he should wield an impact bat.
4. Carter Kieboom, SS, Nationals (AAA) (ETA: September)
Kieboom continues to hit well in Triple-A with a .925 OPS in 98 games. He’s also hitting well recently, and has a .316 batting average with a BB-K of 7-8 over the past 10 games. He should get a chance to gain some big league experience in September and will look to make the most of his second opportunity.
5. Kyle Wright, RHP, Braves (AAA) (ETA: August)
Wright’s command has been off in each of his past two games. In his latest outing, the right-hander allowed 10 hits and five runs in six innings but also produced a K-BB of 11-1. The talent is there for Wright to throw some key innings in September.
6. Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Athletics (Rehab) (ETA: September)
With A.J. Puk getting the call, Luzardo may not be far behind. He’s thrown well for the most part but had a rough outing in his last game when he gave up four runs in 3.1 innings and struck out just one batter. Overall, the 21-year-old lefty has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings at the Triple-A level.
7. Nick Solak, 2B/OF, Rangers (AAA) (ETA: September)
Solak is hitting .452 over his past 10 games. During that stretch, he’s also gone deep four times and now has 10 home runs in 30 games since being traded to the Rangers organization. Overall, he has 27 home runs. Solak will have some fantasy versatility and should be eligible at both second base and in the outfield.
8. Brusdar Graterol, RHP, Twins (AAA) (ETA: August)
The Twins appear torn on whether to call up Graterol or not for September. But he’s been shifted to relief since returning from a shoulder injury which is not expected to be his long-term role so that should give us some indication of which way they’re leaning. He’s looked good in the unfamiliar role and has yet to allow a run in his five outings since getting healthy. He has eight strikeouts in eight innings. On the season, he has a 1.62 ERA and has allowed a .176 batting average with just two home runs in 55.2 innings.
9. Sean Murphy, C, Athletics (Rehab) (ETA: September)
It’s been mostly a lost year for Murphy who is on the cusp of the Majors with a .360 batting average in 23 Triple-A games. His season has been interrupted a couple of times due to injury but he’s now back on a rehab assignment in Rookie ball. He could still reach the Majors in September since he has to be added to the 40-man roster this fall, anyway. Before getting hurt again, he had six home runs in his last four Triple-A games.
10. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B/3B/OF, Orioles (AAA) (ETA: September)
With a roadblock at first base and designated hitter in Baltimore, Mountcastle has been seeing time in the outfield with 17 games in left field. That added versatility makes him all the more attractive in fantasy formats where he could eventually be eligible at three positions. On offense, Mountcastle is hitting .270 with four home runs and a 3-8 BB-K over his past 10 games.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (11-20)
11. Jordan Romano, RHP, Blue Jays (Rehab) (ETA: September)
Romano has now pitched in three Triple-A games since coming off of the injured list. During that stretch, he has five strikeouts in 2.2 innings and has allowed just one run. He has a chance to throw some high-leverage innings in September for the Blue Jays.
12. Abraham Toro, 3B, Astros (AAA) (ETA: September)
Next to Gavin Lux, Toro might be the hottest hitting Triple-A player right now. Since his promotion to the level 14 games ago, Toro has hit .424 with a 1.052 OPS. He has 25 hits in 14 games and a BB-K of 7-5. He has to be added to the 40-man roster in September so he could get a look soon.
13. Willi Castros, SS, Tigers (AAA) (ETA: September)
Castro is showing some life after a summer slump. The middle infielder is hitting .372 over his past 10 games and also flexed some muscle with three home runs. He has an .817 OPS on the season and is up to nine home runs and 17 steals. The club has received very little offense from the middle infield in 2019 so Castro could get a chance to play a lot in September.
14. Jared Walsh, 1B/RHP, Angels (AAA) (ETA: September)
Walsh just keeps crushing the competition in Triple-A. He’s hitting .343 with four home runs and six walks over his past 10 games. He’s now up to 31 home runs on the season with a BB-K of 57-103 in 89 games. That’s 31 home runs in just 89 games. Oh, and he has a 2.25 ERA in 12 Triple-A games and 2.08 ERA in four MLB games.
15. Jesus Sanchez, OF, Marlins (AAA) (ETA: September)
After a hot start to his Marlins career, this former Rays outfielder has quieted down a bit. He’s hitting just .250 over his past 10 games with a BB-K of 4-10. The big league club hasn’t got much offense at all in 2019 so Sanchez may get a look this September since he’s already on the club’s 40-man roster.
16. Deivi Garcia, RHP, Yankees (AAA) (ETA: September)
Garcia has settled down over his past three Triple-A starts and has allowed two runs or fewer in each of those games. He actually threw five no-hit innings in his latest outing but still struggled with his control. He walked five batters but also struck out seven in that game.
17. Jon Duplantier, RHP, Diamondbacks (AAA) (ETA: September)
Duplantier continues to yo-yo between Triple-A and the Majors after making another one-game appearance in The Show on Aug. 15 where he allowed an earned run in two innings — but also walked three. His Major League numbers continue to look better than his minor league ones, so he should be up for good in September and the consistency could help him shine.
18. Tanner Houck, RHP, Red Sox (AAA) (ETA: September)
The Red Sox’s playoff hopes keep taking hits but the team keeps fighting. That’s good news for Houck, who could be called upon to help solidify the bullpen for the final push. The former first-round draft pick and college starter seems to be settling into his new role as a reliever and hasn’t issued a walk in his past three outings. He now has a K-BB of 16-10 in 15.1 Triple-A innings and has six whiffs in his last two outings (three innings).
19. Sheldon Neuse, IF, Athletics (AAA) (ETA: September)
Neuse has had a monster season in Triple-A and could offer some thump off the bench for the A’s in September. He has a .322 batting average and .941 OPS in 118 games this year. He’s shown excellent power with 24 home runs and 30 doubles.
20. Luis Robert, OF, White Sox (AAA) (ETA: September)
Robert may be tiring after playing more than 100 games in a season for the first time in his career. He’s perked up a bit lately and is hitting .289 with four home runs and two steals over his past 10 games. However, that also comes with a BB-K of 2-16. Overall, he still has a .334 batting average with 28 home runs and 36 steals.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (21-30)
21. Anthony Alford, OF, Blue Jays (AAA) (ETA: September)
Currently on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury, Alford has a shot at reaching the Majors this September, if he’s healthy. He’s projected to be out of minor-league options in 2020 but the Blue Jays could petition Major League Baseball for a fourth option given his unique background (playing college football after signing his pro baseball contract) and injury history. Alford was hitting .356 in his past 10 games before getting hurt.
22. Justin Dunn, RHP, Mariners (AA) (ETA: September)
Dunn has to be protected on the 40-man roster this fall so it makes sense that the Mariners may want to get a look at him in September. Over his last two starts, Dunn has allowed just four earned runs in 11 innings while posting a K-BB of 14-4. Overall, he has a K-BB of 138-35 in 116.2 innings.
23. Jose Urquidy, RHP, Astros (AAA) (ETA: September)
Urquidy had a horrible outing on Aug. 7 when he allowed 11 earned runs in 4.2 innings but he rebounded nicely on Aug. 13 with six innings of one-run ball with a K-BB of 9-1. Over his past 10 minor league starts, he has seven starts with seven or more strikeouts. The Astros solidified the starting rotation at the trade deadline but Urquidy could see innings out of the bullpen in September as the club looks to keep its veteran starters fresh for the playoffs.
24. Jorge Mateo, SS, Athletics (AAA) (ETA: September)
Mateo is back. He’s still not hitting much — .211 and a BB-K of 4-15 over his last 10 — but we’ve also seen how desperate playoff teams are for speed with Atlanta’s recent claim of Billy Hamilton. Mateo could rack up some steals in September and produce a few hard-hit balls in between strikeouts.
25. Keegan Akin, LHP, Orioles (AAA) (ETA: September)
Akin’s last outing was a dud (eight runs in 3.2 innings) but he has a shot at seeing big league action in September for an Orioles club that is desperate for pitching. The former second-round pick has thrown 100 or more innings in each of his three full seasons in pro ball and has shown he can miss bats (116 strikeouts in 100.2 innings in Triple-A). He’s also allowed just nine home runs. The downside to this left-hander is that he struggles with his control (51 walks). Interestingly, he’s also struggled against left-handers and has a collective ERA nearing 7.00 against them.
26. T.J. Zeuch, RHP, Blue Jays (AAA) (ETA: September)
If the Jays can find room on a packed 40-man roster, then Zeuch is deserving of a look in September. He still has plenty of innings in his arm after missing most of the first half of the season with a back injury. The 6-foot-7 right-hander threw a no-hitter in Triple-A on Monday night, which is no easy task given the offensive explosion that the league has seen since switching to the Major League baseball. The former first-rounder won’t get you many strikeouts but he uses his height to create incredible downward plane on the ball and generates an elite ground-ball rate — so he’s less likely to get hurt by the home run. Fifteen of his 27 outs on Monday night came via the ground ball. And his frame is built for 200 innings, assuming the back issues are behind him (Get it?).
27. Mauricio Dubon, SS, Giants (AAA) (ETA: September)
Traded from the Brewers to the Giants at the trade deadline, Dubon is pushing for another shot at The Show. He’s hitting .333 with two home runs and a BB-K of 3-4 over his past 10 games. With Brandon Crawford, Scooter Gennett and Donovan Solano ahead of him, Dubon doesn’t project to play much unless the Giants fall out of contention.
28. Jake Cronenworth, SS/RHP, Rays (Rehab) (ETA: September)
Move over Brendan McKay, there’s a new two-way player in town. Cronenworth was just about to make his debut on this list when he went on the injured list. He’s rehabbing down in the Rookie ball so he still has a shot at reaching The Show this September. He can play all over the infield and also pitch (no earned runs allowed in seven Triple-A games). He was hitting .339 with 10 home runs and a BB-K of 44-55 in 81 games.
29. Justus Sheffield, LHP, Mariners (AAA) (ETA: September)
Although Justin Dunn is perhaps the more deserving pitcher for a promotion to the Majors, Sheffield has rebounded nicely as of late and could also be in line for a September promotion. He has a 2.19 in 12 Double-A games after posting a 6.87 ERA in 13 Triple-A games. His K-BB was 85-18 in Double-A compared to 48-41 in Triple-A.
30. Jo Adell, OF, Angels (AAA) (ETA: September)
The Angels recently announced that Adell likely won’t be called up in September so this may be the last time he appears on this list this year unless something drastic changes. He rebounded nicely after missing most of the first half of the season due to injury and could be a major player in the Angels lineup in 2020.
More MLB Prospects Analysis
