The early rookie sensations that captured the baseball spotlight earlier in the year have begun to fade and others have now started to make a name for themselves. Players like Brandon Drury and Aledmys Diaz have really started to garner a lot of attention as their hot play of late has made them must-own fantasy assets.

Other prospects could have similar impacts down the road. Guys like Tyler Glasnow and A.J. Reed could be among the next group of promising prospects to have standout impacts for fantasy owners.

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.

 

Top MLB Prospects - Fantasy Baseball Power Rankings

Welcome to Week 6 of our fantasy baseball impact prospects 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. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 33.0 IP, 1.64 ERA, 1.84 FIP, 13.09 K/9, 3.55 BB/9, 0.27 HR/9, 1.03 WHIP
ETA: Early June
There is a new player at the top of this list and his name is Tyler Glasnow. The Pirates’ right-hander has been absolutely dominant in his last three starts, having gone 18 IP, giving up only eight hits, no runs, walking 7 (one start had five walks, other two had one apiece so this should not be an area of concern), and striking out 29 batters. His last start in particular against a solid Louisville team was outstanding as he delivered seven shutout innings, giving up only four hits, one walk, and striking out 11. Jon Niese has been awful out of the starting rotation (5.94 ERA, 5.75 FIP) and likely will not be given too many more chances to right the ship. It is now close enough that fantasy owners in 12+ team leagues should definitely stash him if they have not already and owners in leagues with 10 owners or fewer need to be ready to stash or add him any day now.

2. A.J. Reed (1B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 115 PA, .235/.339/.480, 6 HR, 0 SB, 20.9% K rate, 13.9% BB rate
ETA: Early June
Reed moves down this list a spot, but it certainly is more of a testament to how good Glasnow can be rather than my outlook on Reed. The Astros are in dire need of some help as they still sit in last place in the AL West. After starting off the year red hot for Houston, Tyler White has really cooled down and now has a slash line of .237/.298/.452. Reed has not exactly torn apart Triple-A, but he has the kind of power and plate discipline to be able to have a much more profound impact on the Astros right now than White. If promoted, Reed is an absolute must own in all leagues and should already be stashed in 12+ team leagues.

3. Blake Snell (SP, TB, AAA)
Stats: 24.2 IP, 4.01 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 11.31 K/9, 5.47 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9, 1.46 WHIP
ETA: Late May
Of the three big starting pitchers that have sat around the top this year, Snell is by far the closest to reaching the majors. The Rays have already stated that they like Erasmo Ramirez much more in the bullpen than in the rotation, likely leaving an opening for Snell to sneak his way into the rotation. And while Matt Andriese started for Tampa on Sunday, don’t expect him to keep the rotation spot for long. Snell has not been great over his past three Triple-A starts and has yet to go more than 5.1 innings in a start this season, but expect him to start turning things around very soon and force his way back to the big leagues. He is worth stashing and should be owned in all leagues once promoted. Few pitchers have his strikeout upside.

4. Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS, AA)
Stats: 18.2 IP, 5.30 ERA, 3.81 FIP, 8.20 K/9, 6.75 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 2.04 WHIP
ETA: Early July
It may seem odd to move Snell above Lucas Giolito, but considering that Giolito’s struggles at Double-A this season, it should be understandable. Widely considered to be the most talented pitching prospect, Giolito has had a rough go of it to start 2016. In five starts this season, he has not gone more than four innings in a start, has yet to strike out more than four, has given up five or more hits in all but one start, and has walked at least two in all but one start. Last time out, Giolito lasted a mere three innings as he surrendered six runs (all earned) on five hits, four walks, and one hit-by-pitch while striking out four. To top it all off, the Nationals’ rotation is doing just fine without him so far as all starters except Max Scherzer have an ERA below 2.50 and FIP below 3.20. He will be worth stashing in June, but it does appear like he will be promoted until July at this point.

5. Trea Turner (SS, WAS, AAA)
Stats: 124 PA, .333/.403/.472, 2 HR, 12 SB, 15.3% K rate, 11.3% BB rate
ETA: Late May
Danny Espinosa and Stephen Drew continue to struggle at short while the Mets remain just a half game behind the Nationals. Meanwhile Turner continues to show improvement at Triple-A as he has reduced his strikeout rate by about 4.0% from last season and increased his walk rate by 5.0%. He is also only two stolen bases away from matching his total of last season despite 20 fewer games. Just as Bryce Harper was a big spark for the Nationals back in 2012 in their push to the postseason, Turner could be the extra catalyst the Nats need to stay one step ahead of the Mets. For fantasy owners, the 22-year-old shortstop could be an explosive player as he has the potential to bat around .300 and steal 20+ bags for owners. He is worth stashing in 14+ team leagues and is worth owning in 10+ team leagues.

6. Jose Peraza (2B, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 115 PA, .291/.333/.388, 1 HR, 4 SB, 16.5% K rate, 6.1% BB rate
ETA: Early June
It is very tough to put a finger on when Peraza will reach the majors, but the general consensus around the league appears to be that he will reach the majors around the beginning of the summer. Where he will play is another question entirely. Billy Hamilton and Adam Duvall have started to improve slowly but surely, Zack Cozart clearly did not have too major of an injury last week, and it would require an injury to push aside Brandon Phillips at second base. The good news is that Peraza is really Option A in the event of an injury in left field, center field, shortstop, or second base. Some may be concerned about his speed, however, as he has begun the year 4/9 in stolen bases. But last season he was 36/43 in stolen base attempts. He will be just fine. If Peraza reaches the big leagues, his speed makes him very valuable in fantasy leagues and would be worth owning in all leagues.

7. Willson Contreras (C, CHC, AAA)
Stats: 100 PA, .337/.440/.482, 2 HR, 1 SB, 10.0% K rate, 14.0% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
Neither David Ross nor Miguel Montero have been particularly good for the Cubs this season, but there is really no immediate need for a change at the catcher position as the Cubs have begun the season with the best record in the majors at 24-6. Willson Contreras would be a major improvement over both Montero and Ross, but there are still questions about his defensive ability and whether or not he is ready to catch big league pitching. It could be a little while until he is promoted, but if he does get that call, Contreras immediately becomes a must-own prospect in fantasy leagues. Speaking as someone who has so far lost two of my catchers, I really can’t wait until Contreras is promoted. But even still he is not quite worth stashing as there is no telling when he will be promoted.

8. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 107 PA, .300/.327/.440, 3 HR, 4 SB, 11.2% K rate, 4.7% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
Outside of winning two of three against the Reds this past weekend, very little has been going right for the Brewers so far this season. Milwaukee has seen very poor production from their pitching staff and the bats have not been to help pick them up. It wasn’t like anyone expected the Brewers to compete, but certainly they could benefit from something to help them sell tickets. Arcia has performed almost exactly as well as he did last season in Double-A which is a great sign for Brewers’ fans. Jonathan Villar is not going to keep Arcia in the minors and fantasy owners should expect the 21-year-old shortstop to debut in the majors once he clears the Super-Two date which will be in the middle of June. Keep in mind that Trea Turner is a bit faster and probably has a higher fantasy upside, but both are very comparable and owners who can’t snag Turner should definitely try to acquire Arcia. He is worth stashing in 14+ team leagues because of his upside and is worth owning in 10+ team leagues.

9. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 30.1 IP, 1.19 ERA, 1.86 FIP, 7.71 K/9, 0.89 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 0.76 WHIP
ETA: Mid-June
Just as Tyler Glasnow has been extraordinary for Pittsburgh’s Triple-A squad, so too has Jameson Taillon. In his last three outings, Taillon has struck out 16 and surrendered only one run over 20 IP with only three walks and eight hits allowed. He is not going to be quite as good as Glasnow in the majors as he lacks the ridiculous strikeout upside, but he should be counted on to register a sub-3.50 ERA and strike out 8.00 batters per nine innings. If I had to guess, I would say that Taillon and Glasnow will be promoted right around the same time as each other, replacing lefties Jon Niese and Jeff Locke. Taillon is not a must-stash prospect, but he is a must-own once promoted.

10. Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL, AA)
Stats: 125 PA, .337/.448/.538, 2 HR, 8 SB, 11.2% K rate, 15.2% BB rate
ETA: Late July
The only question at this point about a possible Dansby Swanson sighting in the majors is whether or not the first name called will be his or Ozzie Albies’. Albies has more professional experience, but Swanson is older and has played in college for several seasons. In spite of the fact that Swanson is at Double-A and Albies is at Triple-A, it seems more likely that the 2015 first overall pick will be the guy called on to solve the shortstop problem. Since arriving at Double-A, the 22-year-old shortstop has played extremely well, slashing .346/.469/.577 with a home run and a stolen base with an impressive 4.00 BB/K rate (12.5% BB rate, 3.1% K rate). At the beginning of the year, any possible shortstop promotion would have been contingent on an Erick Aybar trade occurring. It no longer looks like that is required to happen as Aybar has been absolutely terrible to begin the year and the Braves have already demonstrated that they want to see their young talent perform (Aaron Blair was promoted early because of performance in spite of the fact they could’ve waited until the Super Two deadline). If promoted, Swanson has more than enough upside to warrant owning in all leagues and owners should consider stashing him in the middle of June.

11. Jesse Winker (OF, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 110 PA, .304/.409/.402, 2 HR, 0 SB, 10.9% K rate, 15.5% BB rate
ETA: Late June
As discussed with Peraza, left field is starting to look much more promising for the Reds as Adam Duvall is starting to hit a little bit more. Even with Duvall’s recent improvement, many believe that the middle of the summer will see the promotion of the Reds’ top prospect, Jesse Winker. He has done extremely well so far in Triple-A, demonstrating the near elite plate discipline that scouts have raved about. Though the power numbers have not really been there for him, Winker could see an increase in power by shifting to hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. It is tough to predict when exactly the 22-year-old outfielder will be promoted to the majors.

12. Julio Urias (SP, LAD, AAA)
Stats: 24.0 IP, 1.88 ERA, 2.74 FIP, 10.88 K/9, 0.75 BB/9, 0.71 HR/9
ETA: Mid-June
I have been a firm believer that the Dodgers are going to wait as long as they can before promoting top prospect Julio Urias. Still only 19-years-old and still in need of developing as a starter (he has never gone more than 88 innings in a single season), Urias seemed an unlikely candidate for an early promotion. But now with talk that the Dodgers may promote him for use in the bullpen, it no longer seems completely impossible that he will not see time this season. If the Dodgers promote the young left-hander, it will initially be to work in the bullpen, but that would likely only be to keep his innings count low. Alex Wood, Scott Kazmir, and Ross Stripling have all struggled in the early part of the season and Urias would likely replace them by early August. If promoted, Urias would absolutely be a must-own pitcher, but fantasy owners will need to be ready for the fact that he will not actually be used as a starter until later in the season.

13. Robert Stephenson (SP, CIN, AAA)
Stats: 24.0 IP, 1.88 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 9.75 K/9, 4.13 BB/9, 0.75 HR/9, 1.08 WHIP
ETA: Late June
One of nine starting pitchers used by the Reds already this season, Stephenson has as strong a case as any of them to stay in the starting five. He has gone six innings (exactly) in each of his four Triple-A starts and ironically has also averaged six innings per start in his two majors starts (went five innings and seven in his next start) all while flashing the potential top of the rotation stuff that has made him one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. With Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani both hitting hitches in their rehabs, Iglesias on the DL and Simon struggling in the rotation, it could be sooner rather than later that Stephenson returns to the rotation. If it looks like he is promoted for the remainder of the season, he is worth owning in 10+ team leagues. Even if he is only up for a start or two, he could be a solid DFS or streamer starting option for fantasy owners.

14. Josh Hader (SP, MIL, AA)
Stats: 28.2 IP, 0.94 ERA, 2.02 FIP, 12.56 K/9, 3.45 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.08 WHIP
ETA: Mid-June
While the Brewers have been able to last with the starting five for the entirety of this season, ask any Brewers’ fan and they will tell you that they probably wish they had used more than this five. The Brew Crew has the worst ERA and second-worst FIP in baseball, not to mention the fact that not a single starter has a FIP below 4.90 and only one has an ERA below 6.00. Before the season started, the Brewers likely would have wanted to wait a bit longer for Hader to see time in the majors, but it looks like they will need him sooner rather than later. He has been near perfect this season in Double-A and likely warrants a promotion to Triple-A at some point in the near future. Expect him to reach the majors before August. When promoted, Hader has the strikeout potential to warrant owning him in all leagues.

15. Colin Moran (3B, HOU, AAA)
Stats: 100 PA, .297/.350/.374, 1 HR, 2 SB, 24.0% K rate, 8.0% BB rate
ETA: Mid-June
The Astros have underwhelmed offensively in two positions generally known to be full of strong offensive producers: first base and third base. Just as it appears that A.J. Reed is the clear solution at first base, so too does it appear that Colin Moran will be the fix at third base. Moran does not have quite the same fantasy appeal that Reed does because he lacks the overwhelming power, but he has a high floor and should be able to provide fantasy owners with a strong batting average. If promoted, Moran is a low-risk/medium reward buy in fantasy leagues. He should be owned in 12+ team leagues.

16. Mark Appel (SP, PHI, AAA)
Stats: 27.0 IP, 3.00 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 7.67 K/9, 4.33 BB/9, 0.67 HR/9, 1.44 WHIP
ETA: Early July
The Phillies strong start to the season has been largely carried by their young, promising rotation led by youngsters Aaron Nola and Vincent Velasquez. But there is still some room left for improvement and Mark Appel could be the guy to provide that improvement. Jeremy Hellickson, Adam Morgan, and Charlie Morton have struggled and could possibly be replaced. Appel had a very promising start to the season, but was roughed up in his last outing as he gave up five runs (he had surrendered only four in his previous four starts combined). Promising in 2016 for Appel has been the fact that he has gone at least five innings in each of his starts and has flashed his strikeout potential as he has struck out at least five in three of his five starts. If he can continue to display improvements in May, Appel could see time in the Phillies’ rotation by the middle of the summer. With his upside, he could be worth owning in 12+ team leagues.

17. Jorge Lopez (SP, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 18.1 IP, 8.84 ERA, 5.33 FIP, 9.82 K/9, 8.84 BB/9, 0.49 HR/9, 2.56 WHIP
ETA: Late July
As stated earlier with Josh Hader, the Brewers’ rotation has been god awful this season. However, Jorge Lopez may not be the guy to help stabilize them as he is dealing with his own struggles in Triple-A. Lopez will start twice between now and next Sunday (once unenviably facing off against Julio Urias). If he can right the ship, Lopez could begin to justify a promotion, but he has yet to earn it this season and likely would not be much help to fantasy owners even if promoted. Should Lopez fail to improve in his next two outings, he will see a significant drop in fantasy stock and will fall out of the Top 20 in this list.

18. Peter O’Brien (C/OF, ARI, AAA)
Stats: 110 PA, .327/.327/.654, 9 HR, 0 SB, 27.3% K rate, 0.9% BB rate
ETA: Early June
“He’s forced his way into the picture,” Chip Hale said recently about Peter O’Brien. “Peter’s very close to being a guy that we’re going to call on to help our offense to score runs.” O’Brien has done well in Triple-A in some aspects and struggled astronomically in other aspects. While he has nine home runs already this season which does lead all Triple-A batters, the catcher-turned-outfielder has struck out 30 times to go along with only one walk in 110 plate appearances. It would be a surprise to not see O’Brien reach the majors at some point this season, but there is a risk that his complete lack of plate discipline could really hurt his potential fantasy value. He still has enough power to warrant owning in 14+ team leagues and he could be worth a look in 12 team leagues.

19. Ozzie Albies (SS, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 123 PA, .313/.374/.420, 1 HR, 3 SB, 15.4% K rate, 8.1% BB rate
ETA: Early August
The other talented shortstop prospect in the Braves’ system, Ozzie Albies could eventually reach the bigs by the end of the summer. But while Dansby Swanson has torn apart Double-A, Albies has struggled since reaching Triple-A, slashing only .143/.143/.143 with one stolen base in 28 plate appearances. I would expect this to change as he acclimates to the higher level and starts to perform more like he did when he was at Double-A and slashing .369/.442/.512. He will likely be leap-frogged by Swanson who is likely to jump straight from Double-A to the majors. The 19-year-old shortstop can offer fantasy owners with plenty of speed and a solid batting average in the majors. If promoted, he is worth owning in all leagues.

20. Michael Reed (OF, MIL, AAA)
Stats: 102 PA, .250/.382/.298, 0 HR, 6 SB, 23.5% K rate, 17.6% BB rate
ETA: Early July
Though the power is limited, Michael Reed has enough promise to be worth owning in deep fantasy leagues. Reed has enough speed to steal 20 bases if given sufficient playing time. He also has enough plate discipline to alleviate some concerns that he could struggle to hit at the big league level. Likely the center field solution between now and when Brett Phillips arrives (may not be until September or next season), Reed has just enough to warrant fantasy owners in 12+ team leagues owning him. He could definitely be a productive sleeper for teams willing to take the chance on him.

21. Joe Musgrove (SP, HOU, AA)
Stats: 26.1 IP, 0.34 ERA, 1.87 FIP, 10.25 K/9, 1.03 BB/9, 0.34 HR/9, 0.84 WHIP
ETA: Late July

22. Jeff Hoffman (SP, COL, AAA)
Stats: 36.2 IP, 1.96 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 7.36 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, 1.04 WHIP
ETA: Early July

23. Max Kepler (OF, MIN, AAA)
Stats: 59 PA, .184/.288/.327, 0 HR, 1 SB, 10.2% K rate, 13.6% BB rate
ETA: Late July

24. Josh Bell (1B, PIT, AAA)
Stats: 112 PA, .305/.402/.474, 3 HR, 1 SB, 18.8% K rate, 14.3% BB rate
ETA: Early July

25. Gary Sanchez (C, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 102 PA, .298/.353/.596, 5 HR, 2 SB, 14.7% K rate, 6.9% BB rate
ETA: Early August

26. Sean Newcomb (SP, ATL, AAA)
Stats: 31.1 IP, 3.16 ERA, 3.23 FIP, 9.19 K/9, 5.17 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 1.37 WHIP
ETA: Early August

27. Carson Fulmer (SP, CWS, AA)
Stats: 30.2 IP, 4.99 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 7.04 K/9, 3.82 BB/9, 1.17 HR/9, 1.27 WHIP
ETA: Mid-August

28. J.P. Crawford (SS, PHI, AA)
Stats: 119 PA, .271/.412/.375, 2 HR, 4 SB, 15.1% K rate, 19.3% BB rate
ETA: Early September

29. Jose De Leon (SP, LAD, AAA)
Stats: 5.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.70 FIP, 16.20 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 0.60 WHIP
ETA: Early August

30. Aaron Judge (OF, NYY, AAA)
Stats: 122 PA, .273/.328/.473, 5 HR, 1 SB, 27.0% K rate, 8.2% BB rate
ETA: Early September

MLB Rookie Rankings

1. Corey Seager (SS, LAD)

2. Nomar Mazara (OF, TEX)

3. Kenta Maeda (SP, LAD)

4. Aledmys Diaz (SS, STL)

5. Steven Matz (SP, NYM)

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

7. Trevor Story (SS, COL)

8. Tyler Glasnow (SP, PIT)

9. Brandon Drury (2B/3B, ARI)

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

11. Blake Snell (SP, TB)

12. Lucas Giolito (SP, WAS)

13. Trea Turner (SS, WAS)

14. Jose Berrios (SP, MIN)

15. Jose Peraza (2B, CIN)

16. Jon Gray (SP, COL)

17. Willson Contreras (C, CHC)

18. Orlando Arcia (SS, MIL)

19. Jameson Taillon (SP, PIT)

20. Dansby Swanson (SS, ATL)

 

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