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Marc Hulet provides fantasy baseball dynasty league owners with his top 20 outfield prospect rankings, heading into the 2020 MLB season and looking long erm.
Welcome back to our look at the best dynasty prospects at each position around Major League Baseball. Today, we’re leaving the Top 10 lists behind us and breaking out in a big way — with the Top 20 outfield prospects.
There were not many outfield prospects that had massive impacts on the Majors in 2019. Only 15 rookie outfielders had at least 300 plate appearances last season. Of those, only five were better-than-average hitters in their freshman years. The Top 3 offensive seasons came from Bryan Reynolds (Who far outperformed his MiLB numbers), Mike Yastrzemski (The Orioles would love to have that trade back), and Eloy Jimenez (Not a surprise).
So what this tells us is that talent can come from even the unlikeliest of sources at times and that it’s not always apparent to even the most trained eyes. With this in mind, I accept this daunting task and present you with the Top 20 outfield prospects in dynasty baseball. And don’t forget about the positions we’ve already reviewed: catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, and third basemen.
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Top 1-10 Outfield Prospects
1. Luis Robert, White Sox, MLB ETA: 2020
I was a big fan of Jorge Soler when he first entered pro ball and, while it took him a while to settle in, he broke out in a big way in 2019. Robert could be the next powerful Cuban to impact the Majors and he also has 30+ home run potential with his electric bat speed. But, like Soler, he could have some really pronounced hot and cold streaks until he settles in against big-league pitching. Robert has much more speed than the more established Cuban player and could be a 30-30 (HR-SB) threat.
2. Jo Adell, Angels, MLB ETA: 2020
Adell is the first of a number of talented Angels’ outfield prospects on this list. The most impressive thing about the young outfielder is his strong makeup, which should allow him to realize his full potential. And he has a high ceiling given his plus athleticism. Adell should hit 20-30 home runs and steal 20 or more bases if he can stay healthy.
3. Jarred Kelenic, Mariners, MLB ETA: 2021
Kelenic had one of the most impressive breakout seasons in 2019 and you have to figure the Mets would love a do-over on the trade that saw him head to Seattle last winter. He played at three levels in 2019 and reached Double-A. And he just turned 20 in mid-July. Kelenic is an above-average hitter with good speed and he showed improved power in 2019 when he became a 20-20 player. He has massive upside and a strong drive to succeed.
4. Julio Rodriguez, Mariners, MLB ETA: 2022
Rodriguez is another ultra-talented Mariners prospect. He hit extremely well in A-ball in 2019 as an 18-year-old. He’s a natural talent with strong athleticism. Rodriguez also showed that he’s a quick learner and he easily made adjustments last season. He stands 6-foot-4 and it often takes taller hitters longer to get a rhythm to their swings but Rodriguez is already advanced in that regard, too. He can still be a little too aggressive at times but all the ingredients are here for the young hitter to become a star.
5. Riley Greene, Tigers, MLB ETA: 2023
Greene isn't the most athletic teenager but the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft could be a star based solely on his hitting ability. He showed an advanced feel for hitting despite some swing-and-miss to his game that should improve with experience. He also has plus-power potential and could hit 30 homers in his prime. Greene just turned 19 in late September but he played at three levels in his debut and reached full-season ball.
6. Alex Kirilloff, Twins, MLB ETA: 2020
Kirilloff might have reached the Majors in 2019 if not for injuries that dampened his output. He’s shown the ability to hit for both average and power. I expect him to be extremely motivated in 2020 to regain some of the ground he lost last year. It wouldn’t be out of line to expect 20-25 home runs and a .300 average during his prime, especially if he learns to be a little more patient and works his way into more hitters’ counts.
7. Cristian Pache, Braves, MLB ETA: 2020
Pache still has some improvements to make before he fully taps into his immense potential but he made strides with his power development in 2019. His minor league numbers are more modest than outstanding but he’s consistently been one of the youngest players in each league. He reached Triple-A at the age of 20. Pache also has the speed to steal 20 bases but he lacks instincts on the base paths. He could eventually develop into a .300 hitter.
8. J.J. Bleday, Marlins, MLB ETA: 2022
Bleday produced excellent numbers in one of the top college baseball programs and was nabbed by the Marlins with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 draft. He had a modest pro debut but it came on the heels of a massive power display in college baseball where he went deep 26 times in 65 games. If he remembers that he doesn’t have to sell out to hit for power, Bleday could be very successful as a pro.
9. Heliot Ramos, Giants, MLB ETA: 2021
The Giants have been aggressive with Ramos and, after a brief stumble in 2018, he’s been able to keep up with his assignments. Just 19 during the 2019 season, the talented outfielder posted an .885 OPS HIgh-A ball before reaching Double-A late in the season. If he can avoid being overly aggressive, Ramos has the raw tools to hit 25-30 home runs and produce a high average.
10. Drew Waters, Braves, MLB ETA: 2020
Like fellow Braves prospect Cristian Pache, Waters has been moved along very aggressively and is only scratching the surface on his potential. He has intriguing power/speed potential, although he has yet to tap into his raw power in part because he hits too many balls on the ground. He has the potential to eventually develop into a 20-20 (HR-SB) player. Job 1 for 2020 is cutting down on the swing-and-miss in his game. Job 2 will be getting more balls in the area to take advantage of his massive line-drive power.
Top 11-20 Outfield Prospects
11. Trevor Larnach, Twins, MLB ETA: 2020
Larnach has been an above-average hitter since turning pro in 2018 and he started to tap into his raw power more consistently in 2019. His strikeouts were a little high but he still managed to hit .309 while piling up a good number of walks. If the juiced ball continues to make its way around Triple-A and the Majors, Larnach could start to produce some impressive power numbers in 2020.
12. Dylan Carlson, Cardinals, MLB ETA: 2020
Selected 33rd overall in 2016, Carlson didn’t do much in his first few pro seasons but broke out in a big way in 2019 while spending most of the year in Double-A. He suddenly got a lot stronger between 2018 and ’19 (His isolated slugging rate jumped from .138 to .237) while also becoming more of a fly-ball hitter. If the newfound power output is sustainable then Carlson could have a real impact for the Cardinals.
13. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks, MLB ETA: 2022
The Diamondbacks’ 2019 first-round selection, Carroll comes into pro ball with strong hitting ability for a teenager. He backs that up with enough speed to nab 30 bases at the big league level. The young outfield also showed more power than expected in his debut with 18 of his 46 hits going for extra bases — including seven triples. He could move quickly.
14. Brandon Marsh, Angels, MLB ETA: 2020
Marsh is slowing turning his raw athleticism into baseball skill and he spent 2019 in Double-A. He has the size and strength to hit a lot of home runs but his swing is still geared to hitting more ground balls than you’d like to see from him. If he can make adjustments, Marsh could develop into a 20-20 player with the ability to hit .280-.300. He did a nice job of cutting down his strikeout rate and putting more balls in play in 2019.
15. Alek Thomas, Diamondbacks, MLB ETA: 2022
Thomas has shown an advanced bat for a teenager but he’s a little lower on the list because he lacks a second carrying tool. He could hit .300 as a big leaguer, but he doesn’t have plus power or speed - and could be more of a 15-15 (HR-SB) guy. Thomas has added value in leagues that reward walks.
16. Jordyn Adams, Angels, MLB ETA: 2023
There are a few clubs featured on this list multiple times and the Angels organization has a number of talented prospects that could eventually join Mike Trout in the outfield. Adams is the least advanced of the bunch, although he saw some late-season action in High-A ball as a teenager. Adams has blazing speed and, if he improves his base running, he could steal 30 or more bases — especially given his willingness to take a walk.
17. Kristian Robinson, Diamondbacks, MLB ETA: 2023
The Diamondbacks have a number of intriguing outfield prospects but Robinson still has some work to do to polish his five-tool approach. He has massive raw power that he’s already tapping in to as an 18-year-old and he shows the skill to steal 15-20 bases. Strikeouts may continue to plague him but he takes his fair share of walks, too.
18. Hunter Bishop, Giants, MLB ETA: 2023
Bishop was the Giants’ first-round pick in 2019 based on the massive raw power potential that he showed in college. But his power comes with significant swing-and-miss tendencies and even his amateur results were mixed. As a result, Bishop is a high-risk, high-reward prospect who gains some additional value because he showed a very patient approach during his pro debut with his 39 strikeouts coming with 38 walks in 32 games.
19. Josh Lowe, Rays, MLB ETA: 2020
Lowe made up for lost time in 2019 and appears eager to join his brother Nathaniel Lowe in the Rays lineup. The toolsy outfielder is a former first-round draft pick (while his more successful brother went in the 13th round) but he's battled contact issues and generally struggled to translate his raw athleticism into baseball skill. Lowe showed improvements at Double-A last year and stole 30 bases while also tapping into his raw power more consistently with 18 homers. He may always struggle with strikeouts and provide a modest batting average, but he has strong center-field skills and could be a 20-20 (HR-SB) threat.
20. Kyle Lewis, Mariners, MLB ETA: 2020
Lewis’ inclusion on this list is under the assumption that Major League Baseball will continue to use a juiced ball of some sort in the coming seasons. Drafted 11th overall in 2016, his development has been stalled by injuries and contact issues. That latter concern remains but he showed in 2019 what can happen when he gets a hold of the Triple-A/MLB ball when he launched six homers in 18 games for the Mariners. He might strike out 200 times in a full big league season but Lewis could also launch 30-40 home runs.
Just Missed: Jarren Duran (Red Sox), Brennen Davis (Cubs), Jesus Sanchez (Marlins), Taylor Trammell (Padres), Leody Taveras (Rangers), Khalil Lee (Royals)
