May 10, 2016

Brad Johnson's premier dynasty advice for week 6. These MLB prospects and breakout candidates should make fantasy impacts in 2016 as fantasy baseball sleepers.

Welcome back to the Dynasty Review. The purpose of this column is to advise you on up-and-comers in dynasty leagues. We're Phillies themed today.

As of this writing, the club is two games back in the NL East with a 18-14 record - tied eighth best in baseball. Despite their early success, they have plenty of room for upgrades.

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.

Dynasty Advice for Week 6

Tommy Joseph - Philadelphia Phillies

Finally healthy and fully relieved of catching duties, former prospect Tommy Joseph is making short work of Triple-A pitching. He's posted a .392/.417/.709 slash with six home runs and a .391 BABIP in 84 plate appearances. He has a tiny 11.9 percent strikeout rate.

Prior to this season, the 24-year-old looked like a bust. His bat showed no signs of carrying him as a first baseman. Now he's giving Phillies fans hope at their darkest position. Ryan Howard has scuffled with a .185/.250/.424 line. Darin Ruf has been even worse with a .167/.217/.204 slash. Joseph may soon be asked to provide an offensive boost to the lineup.

Obviously, Joseph isn't a lock to continuing performing in Triple-A, let alone the majors. I don't have an updated scouting report, but I winkled some opinions out of Phillies watcher Matt Winkleman. Joseph is reportedly in better shape than past seasons and past the concussion issues he suffered through as a catcher.

He has plus raw power with improving contact skills and bat speed. He's avoiding strikeouts via aggression. He'll probably need to take borderline pitches to succeed in the majors.

If Joseph does manage to reach the majors and provide value, it will be the second year in a row the club resurrected a forgotten former prospect. Aaron Altherr was expected to big part of the offense this season before he suffered a serious, possibly season-ending wrist injury in Spring Training.

J.P. Crawford - Philadelphia Phillies

Entering the season, everybody believed J.P. Crawford would follow the Francisco Lindor timeline. I stood atop a lonely mountain insisting the Phillies would find every excuse to keep Crawford in the minors until mid-April 2017. If they did, they'd "earn" an extra season of club control. After all, Crawford is only 21. Do the Phillies really prefer half a season from Crawford now to a full season in 2023? Maybe they do.

The longer the club contends, the more likely we are to see Crawford this season. It comes down to dollars and cents. The value of additional production on a playoff contender is worth many millions more than on a rebuilding club. If Crawford helps the Phillies contend into September, season ticket sales will surge in anticipation of a successful 2017 season.

Once again, Crawford is posting a higher walk than strikeout rate while also hitting for a solid average. His power numbers are marginal with a .270/.411/.370 line. Overall, his plate discipline, contact, and above average speed make him an ideal top-of-the-lineup hitter. Crawford may eventually form an elite one-two punch with Odubel Herrera.

Undoubtedly, the Phillies would like to see Crawford hit for more authority. He'll also need to continue his success in Triple-A once he's promoted. Teams typically bump up top performing prospects in mid-May. A promotion could come any day now. Crawford also hit well in 405 Double-A plate appearances last season, giving him a long track record of success at the level.

Rapid Fire

Andrew Benintendi - Boston Red Sox

Benintendi has completely overmatched opponents in High-A ball. He's hitting a robust .368/.424/.624 with an 8.3 percent walk rate and 6.1 percent strikeout rate. A promotion should be forthcoming soon. If Benintendi continues his utter dominance of minor league pitching, a late season stint in the majors is possible. There's plenty of room in left field.

Yoan Moncada - Boston Red Sox

The High-A Salem team is perhaps the most talented in the minors. Moncada is hitting .317/.450/.510 with three home runs and 18 stolen bases. He profiles similarly to Alfonso Soriano in his prime with 40/40 upside to go with plenty of walks and strikeouts. He'll need to break out to reach the power potential.

Cody Reed - Cincinnati Reds

The Reds received a haul for Johnny Cueto. While John Lamb and Brandon Finnegan are already soaking up major league experience, Reed has the highest ceiling of them all. The lefty is currently coasting through Triple-A with a 1.46 ERA, 9.12 K/9, and 1.82 BB/9. Continued success will ensure a few spot starts for Reed, if not more. It's too bad Great American Ballpark is the sea level version of Coors Field.

Cheslor Cuthbert - Kansas City Royals

Cuthbert has been called up to fill in for Mike Moustakas. In addition to possessing a decidedly medieval name, Cuthbert offers a hint of power and versatility. In 107 Triple-A plate appearances, he hit seven home runs as part of a .333/.402/.624 line. He has a history of good plate discipline. He won't replicate the power numbers in Kansas City, but the scouting reports cite plus raw tools and incipient breakout potential. This could be it.

Julio Urias - Los Angeles Dodgers

A few days ago, it leaked that the Dodgers may be on the cusp of promoting Urias. The team has a need in the bullpen, but it doesn't all add up to me. While Urias' innings are capped this season, the club would still benefit more from getting a few starts out of him. Then he could join the bullpen later in the year when some of their many injured starting pitchers return to action.

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