Just to answer a question I have received a lot right at the top: I do not know when the exact Super Two deadline is. The day varies each year and no one has released a specific date for it.

Just so you have a general date to keep in mind, last season Carlos Correa was promoted on June 8 which was after the Super Two deadline. Really, any day now could be the Super Two deadline and we will see a flurry of prospects receiving promotions.

You will see that many of these names are labeled ‘next week.’ That is not saying that these prospects will all be in the minors until June 13; in fact, quite the opposite. My guess on the prospects with that ETA is that they will be promoted before that date. I could be wrong, but needless to say all of those prospects should probably be stashed if you have significant interest in owning them as it is really any day now until they are promoted.

 

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. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 61.2 IP, 2.04 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 8.90 K/9, 0.88 BB/9, 0.29 HR/9, 0.81 WHIP
ETA: Next week
Taillon had his roughest outing of the season in his last start on June 3. He threw 6.1 innings of five-hit, three run baseball with one walk and seven punchouts. That was his worst start of the season. For a bad outing, that is pretty good. If there is any starting pitcher who will be the first promoted among all the other starters in the minors, it will easily be Taillon as he has demonstrated nothing but major league readiness. He is a must own, must stash in just about all leagues and should produce numbers similar to a reliable number two starter.

2. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 61.0 IP, 2.07 ERA, 2.64 FIP, 10.62 K/9, 4.28 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9, 1.20 WHIP
ETA: Next week
Glasnow’s last start was really the tale of two cities. He delivered five no-hit innings with three strikeouts, but he also walked four batters. That is really the tale of the tape with Glasnow and the reason that he is a much riskier pick than Taillon. His control is very questionable and he could seriously use some help, but I think working with Ray Searage could do wonders for his command and he could be able to fully utilize his dominant stuff. If he can reduce his walk rate down to 3.00 or even 3.25 BB/9, he would likely be a better fantasy starter to own than Jameson Taillon. If the walks remain a serious issue for him in the big leagues, he will still rack up plenty of strikeouts and still flash ace stuff, but he will have a lot more clunkers than Taillon. Even with the concern of walks, Glasnow should still be stashed and owned in all leagues.

3. Trea Turner (2B, WAS, AAA)
Stats: 222 PA, .310/.376/.472, 3 HR, 17 SB, 19.4% K rate, 9.9% BB rate
ETA: Next week
Turner is still in the majors, but it has been reported that he will return to the minors as soon as Ryan Zimmerman returns to the team which will be in just a few days. In his 2016 debut, Turner went 3-3 with a walk and a double. Obviously he won’t bat 1.000 during a full season, but certainly Turner will provide much better offense than current shortstop Danny Espinosa. The Nationals want Turner to improve on his defense, but by next week they will probably be over that and return Turner to the big leagues. At this point, he should be owned in all leagues.

4. Alex Bregman (SS, HOU, AA)
Stats: 185 PA, .316/.424/.613, 12 HR, 3 SB, 8.1% K rate, 13.5% BB rate
ETA: Next week
As someone who owns Alex Bregman in my dynasty league, I truly cannot wait until the Super Two deadline passes. It is very likely that he is promoted straight from Double-A to play third base for the Astros and he could be ready to break out in a big way. He has absolutely torn up Double-A and could be just the spark Houston needs at the hot corner. The Astros are steadily starting to creep back into the postseason picture and could really use a pick-me-up from Bregman. He figures to slot in right behind Correa in the four spot of the lineup where he could really pick up some serious RBI numbers or, at worst, in the fifth spot where he should still be able to rack up solid numbers. At this point, I advise stashing Bregman in 10+ team leagues as he could be a truly explosive bat.

5. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 215 PA, .308/.344/.423, 4 HR, 9 SB, 13.0% K rate, 5.6% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
It is very tough to tell whether or not Arcia will receive a promotion this season, but there does not seem to be much of a reason as to why the Brewers should wait (other than controlling him for an extra year, an incentive that may push them to holding him off until next year). Some believe Milwaukee will wait on their top prospect, others see them giving him a call-up after a possible Jonathan Villar trade. I believe that they will promote him soon and shift Villar over to third or into the outfield. To any fantasy owners currently stashing Arcia, just know that I have made the same decision in my league so you all are not alone. He has plenty of upside and certainly warrants stashing in deeper leagues even with the risk of a delayed promotion in mind.

6. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 170 PA, .248/.353/.469, 7 HR, 0 SB, 23.5% K rate, 14.1% BB rate
ETA: Next week
Since being activated from the DL, Reed is currently slashing .300/.404/.500 with a home run and a 0.5 BB/K ratio. Maybe some rest was all the first base prospect needed. Well, that first base prospect is what the Astros currently need as Tyler White is just simply not getting the job done for them. Once the Super Two deadline passes, expect the Astros to make a miniature wave of promotions and call up both Alex Bregman and A.J. Reed to man the two corner infield positions. Reed may struggle to hit for average, but the power is for real and he should be able to mash enough to warrant owning in 10+ leagues. He should be stashed in most leagues.

7. Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL, AA)
Stats: 235 PA, .296/.391/.473, 5 HR, 10 SB, 14.0% K rate, 12.3% BB rate
ETA: Late June
Swanson has not been nearly as dominant in Double-A as has been his 2015 draft shortstop compatriot, Alex Bregman, but he has still be good enough to warrant a look at the next level or even the majors. With Ozzie Albies struggling at Triple-A, many are starting to blame Braves management for rushing their prospects to the next level too much, but that is not the case with Swanson who has demonstrated that he is ready for anything thrown at him. Most impressive, in my opinion, is the fact that Swanson has a .272 batting average in spite of a .297 BABIP at Double-A despite the fact that he has well above-average speed and makes consistent hard contact. When he reaches the majors (no longer an ‘if’ at this point), he should hit for a very respectable average and steal his fair share of bases. He won’t be up as quick as Bregman, but he could still have a big impact in fantasy leagues and warrants stashing/owning in most leagues.

8. Blake Snell (SP, TB, AAA)
Stats: 51.1 IP, 3.51 ERA, 3.03 FIP, 11.92 K/9, 4.21 BB/9, 0.70 HR/9, 1.32 WHIP
ETA: Next week
Since May 10, Snell has done everything in his power to warrant a call-up. He has a 3.04 ERA, a 2.47 FIP, a 12.49 K/9, 3.04 BB/9, and a 0.68 HR/9. Remarkably, he has put together this impressive season all while posting up a .344 BABIP which should only go down when he reaches the majors. The key, however, to all of these stats is the 3.04 BB/9 because there have been a lot of concerns about his command. He appears to be screaming that he is ready to face big league hitters on a regular basis and should be up in the majors as soon as the Super Two deadline passes.

9. Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS, AA)
Stats: 54.1 IP, 2.98 ERA, 3.35 FIP, 8.28 K/9, 4.64 BB/9, 0.17 HR/9, 1.44 WHIP
ETA: Mid-July
Speaking of guys who have been hot lately, check out Giolito since May 9. He has a 1.77 ERA and a 3.01 FIP with an 8.33 K/9, 3.53 BB/9, and 0.25 HR/9 in that span. He is really starting to show that he is big league ready and certainly would warrant a call-up . . . if he wasn’t still in the Washington Nationals system. The Nats still would like to see more from Max Scherzer and Gio Gonzalez, but Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross, and Tanner Roark have all been outstanding this season. Maybe Roark has a rough start and gets bumped to the bullpen, but it could be awhile before we get a Giolito sighting. I would say that he gets his chance in July, but if Roark or Ross have any rough outings, he could be seen in late June. The way those two have pitched though, the safer bet is definitely for July.

10. Alex Reyes (SP, STL, AAA)
Stats: 15.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 15.60 K/9, 4.20 BB/9, 0.60 HR/9, 0.93 WHIP
ETA: Early July
The Cardinals have not received much from their rotation and could certainly benefit from an upgrade, the only question is who would be the guy to leave. Mike Leake just signed a big contract and has a track record of success, Adam Wainwright has been their ace even if he has been terrible in 2016, Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha both have so much upside, and Jaime Garcia has been their best starter by far. But if the Cardinals decide to shake up their rotation, the guy who will reach the bigs will certainly be Alex Reyes. In his last outing, Reyes lasted six innings, gave up only two hits and two walks and struck out 11 batters. He has the electric stuff and could be the future ace of the Cardinals, but there is no solid timetable for when he could reach the big leagues. If one of the Cardinals get hurt, Reyes should immediately be stashed and he is still probably worth stashing in 14+ team leagues.

11. Willson Contreras (C, CHC, AAA)
Stats: 205 PA, .339/.429/.586, 9 HR, 3 SB, 13.2% K rate, 12.2% BB rate
ETA: Late June
Miguel Montero and David Ross have not been getting the job done offensively for the Cubs this season. That alone does not mean that Chicago will promote their top catching prospect Willson Contreras, but it certainly does not hurt his chances of reaching the big leagues. His ridiculous slash line of .339/.429/.586 does not hurt either. He has demonstrated some solid power which many scouts believed did not exist and has continued to flash the consistent contact that has made him one of the most coveted catching prospects in baseball. It could be a while until he reaches the majors and when he does, he will certainly not receive regular playing time, but for owners in multi-catcher leagues, Contreras has a lot of value as any playing time he receives will almost certainly provide quality at-bats.

12. Josh Hader (SP, MIL, AA)
Stats: 51.0 IP, 0.88 ERA, 2.20 FIP, 11.47 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, 0.18 HR/9, 1.00 WHIP
ETA: Mid-June
Hader had his last start skipped in an effort to keep his innings total and pitch count on the season down. As we approach the summer, you will start to see more of his starts skipped. The main reason for that, it is very likely that instead of finishing his season in early September in the minors, he will probably finish his season in late September with the big league club. There is no one keeping Hader from reaching the big league rotation and fantasy owners should expect to see this stellar southpaw reach the bigs before July. He is not necessarily a must-stash as of today, but he would certainly be a must-own in 12+ team leagues once he reaches the big leagues.

13. Robert Stephenson (SP, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 53.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 4.64 FIP, 7.38 K/9, 4.70 BB/9, 1.01 HR/9, 1.34 WHIP
ETA: Next week
The Reds rotation is awful this season and after hearing the news that Raisel Iglesias will shift to the bullpen once he comes off the DL, it seems that a spot could open up for Robert Stephenson once the Super Two deadline passes. Unfortunately, he has had some really rough outings of late in the minors. He has not thrown a scoreless outing in the minors since April 24 and has only two starts in the minors this season when he has walked fewer than three batters. There is no doubt that he has the talent and the stuff to be a solid MLB starter, but there is significant risk associated with owning him. Reds manager Bryan Price has actually been quite good with developing young pitching prospects, but even with that in mind there is still too much risk to own him before watching a few starts. If he looks dominant or even adequate in the big leagues, he could warrant owning, but certainly there is no need to stash him in redraft leagues.

14. Jose De Leon (SP, LAD, AAA)
Stats: 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.74 FIP, 16.20 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 0.60 WHIP
ETA: Early August
De Leon could be up in the majors right now instead of Julio Urias (who is kind of getting kicked around) if it weren’t for some injuries. He is an interesting situation to monitor as he does have some value if he can remain healthy, but that is an awfully big ‘if’. He will continue to remain on this list for now, but if any health red flags pop up, you will see his value plummet right down. He should not be stashed in any redraft leagues at the moment.

15. Jose Peraza (2B, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 203 PA, .290/.332/.383, 1 HR, 7 SB, 12.8% K rate, 5.9% BB rate
ETA: Late July/Early August
As Zack Cozart continues to hit, the trade rumors surrounding him continue to increase. At this point, the most persistent rumor that I have heard is that not only are the Reds looking to deal him, but they want to complete a deal before the offseason (they made the mistake of waiting until the offseason last year for Todd Frazier, who had an epic second-half slide, and Aroldis Chapman, who had the domestic violence suspension). So Cozart will be dealt and Jose Peraza will be promoted to take his spot at shortstop. Peraza is a serious speedster (even if his numbers have not been overwhelming this season) and figures to bat in the leadoff spot or bat second for the Reds. For fantasy owners, it is probably early to start thinking about stashing the young shortstop, but once promoted he will absolutely warrant owning. He could easily rack up double-digit stolen base totals.

16. J.P. Crawford (SS, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 222 PA, .250/.378/.348, 3 HR, 6 SB, 14.0% K rate, 17.1% BB rate
ETA: Late July/Early August
The Phillies were in the playoff hunt. And just like that . . . they’re gone. A 2-8 stretch has them now sitting seven games behind first place in the NL East and in fourth place now behind the Nationals, Mets, and Marlins. Certainly for J.P. Crawford owners, they were really hoping that the Phillies would stay in contention because it would increase the chance of him reaching the big leagues this season. But a possible promotion, just like the Phillies’ playoff hopes, are not entirely dashed as there is still plenty of baseball left to be played. It certainly doesn’t help that the 21-year-old shortstop is slashing only .208/.321/.229 since being promoted to Triple-A. He is an interesting name to watch for the rest of 2016, but he should not stashed.

17. Cody Reed (SP, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 51.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 9.06 K/9, 2.44 BB/9, 0.70 HR/9, 1.16 WHIP
ETA: Late June
Robert Stephenson is the most likely to reach the majors of the two Reds prospects, but Reed has the best chance to produce this season. His last two outings haven’t been great, but Reed overall has been phenomenal at Louisville this season. Just as with Stephenson, there is no one really keeping him from reaching the big leagues, the only question is just about how comfortable the Reds feel with his development. I wouldn’t expect to see him up until later in the summer, but a late June/early July debut would not be too surprising.

18. Jake Thompson (SP, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 55.1 IP, 4.23 ERA, 4.59 FIP, 7.32 K/9, 3.09 BB/9, 1.30 HR/9, 1.30 WHIP
ETA: Late June
Thompson has been bit by the home run bug this season, but he still has shown enough to warrant a spot on this list. The Phillies have been good this season and much of it is as a result of their pitchers’ dominance. Guys like Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff have both been outstanding and Thompson may be in the next wave of young pitchers to help keep this team afloat. Thompson doesn’t have the ace upside of Nola, but he is a workhorse, middle of the rotation starter who fantasy owners could count on to produce a 3.50 ERA and strike out a reasonable amount of batters. Because he lacks the ace potential of many names on this list, he is probably not worth stashing in most leagues, but he would be worth owning in 12+ team leagues once promoted.

19. Tim Anderson (SS, CHW, AAA)
Stats: 232 PA, .300/.325/.399, 3 HR, 10 SB, 23.3% K rate, 3.4% BB rate
ETA: Next week
The Chicago White Sox, much like the Philadelphia Phillies, took a bit of a tumble in the standings recently. They too are currently mired in a 2-8 stretch and are looking for help. With the inadequate duo of Jimmy Rollins and Tyler Saladino currently occupying shortstop for the White Sox, the clear answer to their woes could be found in the hot-hitting Tim Anderson who has done extremely well at Triple-A this season. I would expect to see Anderson up as soon as the Super Two deadline passes as I’m sure the White Sox will want to see if they can cure the shortstop problem internally rather than through trade. If Anderson and his sub-par plate discipline struggle at the big league level, he could be sent back down to the minors. Owning him is a risk for fantasy owners as he does not have the best track record, but he has plenty of upside from a stolen base perspective. He is certainly worth a look in 14+ team leagues and could have some value in 12 team leagues if he proves that he can hit big league pitching.

20. Jesse Winker (OF, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 203 PA, .276/.379/.359, 2 HR, 0 SB, 12.8% K rate, 14.8% BB rate
ETA: Late July
Just like how Zack Cozart has increased his trade stock by performing very well, so too has Jay Bruce in 2016. A year after slashing only .226/.294/.434, Bruce is now slashing .269/.317/.559 with 11 home runs already in 50 games played. As streaky of a player as Bruce is, I would expect to see the Reds deal him much sooner rather than later and try to get as much value for him as they can get. Once they deal him away, it is likely that the insane home run-hitting Adam Duvall will shift over to right field and Jesse Winker will be promoted to play left field. Winker has a phenomenal understanding of the strike zone and so has a very high floor in the big leagues. He has not shown much development from a power perspective, and that is why he is so low on this list. But if he can start to demonstrate some pop once he reaches Great American Smallpark, he will warrant owning in leagues deeper than 14 teams. As of right now though, he does not have enough to offer fantasy owners to warrant owning in fantasy leagues with fewer than 14 teams.

21. Joe Musgrove (SP, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 49.1 IP, 1.64 ERA, 2.52 FIP, 9.12 K/9, 1.09 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, 1.01 WHIP
ETA: Mid-June

22. Ozzie Albies (SS, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 230 PA, .287/.339/.416, 3 HR, 5 SB, 16.5% K rate, 6.5% BB rate
ETA: Late July/Early August

23. Daniel Mengden (SP, OAK, AAA)
Stats: 63.1 IP, 0.99 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 8.53 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, 0.28 HR/9, 0.95 WHIP
ETA: Late June

24. Max Kepler (OF, MIN, AAA)
Stats: 128 PA, .282/.367/.455, 1 HR, 1 SB, 10.9% K rate, 12.5% BB rate
ETA: Late July
Update: Max Kepler was recently promoted in the wake of Miguel Sano's injury. He is a solid play in deeper leagues, but does not have much value in leagues with fewer than 12 teams

25. Josh Bell (1B/OF, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 219 PA, .302/.393/.466, 5 HR, 1 SB, 19.6% K rate, 11.9% BB rate
ETA: Mid-July

26. Gary Sanchez (C, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 147 PA, .297/.340/.536, 6 HR, 3 SB, 15.6% K rate, 4.8% BB rate
ETA: Early August

27. Sean Newcomb (SP, ATL, AA)
Stats: 57.0 IP, 3.47 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 9.16 K/9, 5.21 BB/9, 0.16 HR/9, 1.37 WHIP
ETA: Early August

28. Jose Berrios (SP, MIN, AAA)
Stats: 33.0 IP, 3.27 ERA, 3.54 FIP, 9.55 K/9, 4.64 BB/9, 0.55 HR/9, 1.36 WHIP
ETA: Mid-July

29. Alec Mills (SP, KC, AA)
Stats: 56.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.79 FIP, 8.68 K/9, 1.77 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.07 WHIP
ETA: Mid-July

30. Lewis Brinson (OF, TEX, AA)
Stats: 191 PA, .222/.274/.392, 5 HR, 8 SB, 16.2% K rate, 5.8% BB rate
ETA: Early August

MLB Rookie Rankings

1. Corey Seager (SS, LAD)

2. Nomar Mazara (OF, TEX)

3. Trevor Story (SS, COL)

4. Steven Matz (SP, NYM)

5. Aledmys Diaz (SS, STL)

6. Kenta Maeda (SP, LAD)

7. Jon Gray (SP, COL)

8. Trayce Thompson (OF, LAD)

9. Byung-Ho Park (1B, MIN)

10. Michael Fulmer (SP, DET)

11. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT)

12. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT)

13. Brandon Drury (2B/OF, ARI)

14. Trea Turner (2B, WAS)

15. Alex Bregman (SS, HOU)

16. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL)

17. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU)

18. Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL)

19. Blake Snell (SP, TB)

20. Byron Buxton (OF, MIN)

 

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