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The Top 10 tier lost two high-profile prospects this past week with the promotions of pitcher Bryse Wilson, pitcher (and hitter) Brendan McKay (Rays), and second baseman Keston Hiura (Brewers). McKay and Hiura could play huge roles in their respective teams’ race for a playoff berth. The Rays’ multi-tool prospect had an eye-opening debut against the Rangers and more than justified his fourth-overall ranking on last week’s list.
Pitcher Dylan Cease (White Sox) is projected to make his first start today, Wednesday, for Chicago and they’ve stated that he’ll remain with the team for the rest of the year. Expect an uneven performance given his inconsistencies in Triple-A this year - days of brilliance and days of quick hooks.
The Astros’ Corbin Martin has been removed from the list as we await news on the severity of his elbow injury. It’s a big blow to the Astros’ depth now that both Martin and Forrest Whitley are on the shelf. New prospects were added this week from the Marlins, White Sox, and Padres.
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Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (1-10)
1. Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros (AAA) (ETA: July)
The Astros’ offense has been struggling recently but Tucker remains at Triple-A. Tyler White continues to occupy a 25-man roster spot despite his year-long struggles; you have to appreciate the club’s desire to manage and protect its assets (and depth) but regularly rotating Yordan Alvarez and Tucker into the lineup would likely be far more beneficial and help keep some of the veterans fresh for a long playoff push. Tucker is in a small funk right now in Triple-A with 14 strikeouts over his past 10 games but he’s only one steal away from having a 20-20 (HR-SB) season in less than 80 games.
2. Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Athletics (AAA) (ETA: July)
Luzardo time is coming. The young southpaw has now had two starts at the Triple-A level with the last one extending to five innings of two-run ball. He showed good control with no walks and allowed just four hits. He’s also keeping the ball down and inducing lots of ground balls, which is always important in this homer-happy era. Luzardo will likely receive one or two more starts before getting the call.
3. Luis Urias, 2B, Padres (AAA) (ETA: July)
Veteran infielder Greg Garcia’s resurgence is likely playing a role in Urias being stuck in Triple-A but he’s much better suited to a utility role. Meanwhile, the young middle infielder has been playing excellent defense at both second base and shortstop while also hitting well. His OPS for the season is at 1.022 through 64 games and he’s been an on-base machine with 33 walks and a .322 average.
4. Bo Bichette, SS, Blue Jays (AAA) (ETA: July)
Bichette has had five multi-hit games in the last 10 and he’s hitting .389 during that stretch. He hasn’t been hitting for over-the-fence power but he’s hitting some doubles, stealing bases (six in the last eight games) and also showing a solid eye with a BB-K of 7-10. Give him another couple of weeks and he should get a shot at The Show.
5. Carter Kieboom, SS, Nationals (AAA) (ETA: July)
You can almost hear Kieboom screaming, “Put me in the game, coach!” The Nationals are 1.5 games out of a wild card spot and the young shortstop looks ready for another shot in the spotlight. He’s hitting .425 over the past 10 games. During that span, he has 17 hits and nine walks. For the mathematically-challenged readers, that means he’s been on base at least 26 times over that span.
6. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pirates (AAA) (ETA: July)
Keller continues to roll at the Triple-A level since his demotion. He threw five innings of one-run ball on June 29 and now has allowed just two runs in his last two starts spanning 12.1 innings. He’ll bide his time until an injury (or trade) provides an opportunity and he doesn’t have a lot left to prove in the minors.
7. Nathaniel Lowe, 1B, Rays (AAA) (ETA: July)
Like a lot of sluggers, Lowe continues to have issues with strikeouts (13 in the last 10 games). But he’s also been an on-base machine with 49 walks in 66 games. Add in the 28 extra base hits and you have a MLB-ready bat just waiting for the opportunity to prove itself.
8. Jordan Romano, RHP, Blue Jays (AAA) (ETA: July)
Romano’s next opportunity likely hinges on the mid-to-late July trades that should be coming in Toronto with Ken Giles, Joe Biagini, and Daniel Hudson all possessing some level of trade value to a contender. Romano has 18 strikeouts and just two walks over his past 10 Triple-A games (12.1 innings). His one nemesis continues to be the long ball - between Triple-A and the Majors, he’s allowed nine this year (38.1 innings).
9. Jo Adell, OF, Angels (AA) (ETA: July)
Another week, another glowing report for Adell. The young outfielder is up to a .421 average over his past 10 games. He’s now played 20 games at the Double-A level since returning from injury and has a BB-K of 7-13 and a 1.093 OPS. He’s also hitting for power and has played good defense in both center and right field. He could be a great spark plug for the Angels in the second half as the club is just 4.5 games out of a wild-card spot.
10. Will Smith, C, Dodgers (AAA) (ETA: July)
Smith is the first of three prospects in the Dodgers system that could be just as valuable as any acquisition made via a trade. He’s already been up with the big league club twice and perhaps the third recall will be the one that sticks. With three home runs in nine MLB games, we know the power will play and it could be a dangerous weapon off the bench in the playoffs (with his versatility also a major asset). As a result, it would make sense to get Smith comfortable playing at the MLB level for as long as possible before the games start to matter all that much more.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (11-20)
11. Isan Diaz, IF, Marlins (AAA) (ETA: July)
Diaz continues to push for a big league promotion and is now hitting .387 over his past 10 games with a BB-K of 10-4. And that great approach hasn’t diminished his power - he has four home runs over that stretch. He has outstanding power for a second base prospect with 18 in 78 Triple-A games.
12. Luis Robert, OF, White Sox (AA) (ETA: July)
Robert is on another hot streak despite all his strikeouts (14 in the last 10 games). The toolsy outfielder has hits in nine of his past 10 games and is hitting .372 with three homers and six steals over that stretch. He’s hitting .356 with 15 homers and 24 steals on the year.
13. Kyle Wright, RHP, Braves (AAA) (ETA: July)
Wright is back in Triple-A again after a brief MLB visit (without an appearance). He’s starting to iron things out at the minor league level and over his past three starts has allowed four earned runs in 19.1 innings - as well as five walks and 24 strikeouts. People will underrate him because of his overall numbers which suffer from his struggles in April and May.
14. A.J. Puk, LHP, Athletics (AA) (ETA: August)
Puk continues to move along more methodically than Luzardo. He’s up to Double-A now but continues to struggle with his command. He allowed three hits, one walk and one run in 1.1 innings. The encouraging news is that all four outs came on strikeouts.
15. Justin Dunn, RHP, Mariners (AA) (ETA: August)
Dunn continues to make a push for a promotion to either Triple-A or the Majors. He’s allowed three earned runs over his past two starts and features a nifty K-BB of 18-3 over 11.1 innings. Overall, he now has 90 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.
16. Gavin Lux, SS, Dodgers (AAA) (ETA: August)
Lux earned a bump up to Triple-A on the weekend and went 8-for-13 to celebrate the promotion. Five of his eight hits also went for extra bases. The big league club doesn’t have a lot of holes but it looks like Lux will be ready to help out in the event of an injury.
17. Dustin May, RHP, Dodgers (AAA) (ETA: August)
Like Lux, May earned a recent promotion from Double-A to Triple-A. The right-handed hurler had a nice start at his new level on June 30 when he allowed just two runs in five innings. The Dodgers’ starting rotation is pretty damn solid but all five pitchers have had issues staying healthy so May could get a solid opportunity in the second half. It might even make sense to give him innings to keep the vets healthy for the playoffs.
18. Jorge Mateo, SS, Athletics (AAA) (ETA: August)
Mateo is in a funk and hitting just .196 with 14 strikeouts over the past 10 games. Still, he has tantalizing speed, some power, and defensive versatility. The A’s offense could use some help and, barring any major trades, Mateo might be their best hope - and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were the type of player that performs better in the spotlight then the near-obscurity that is minor league baseball.
19. Anthony Kay, LHP, Mets (AAA) (ETA: August)
The transition from Double-A to Triple-A has not been easy on Kay. The southpaw has struggled with both his command and control while issuing seven walks and 21 hits in 14 innings. He’s also been taken deep four times. Still, he has time to turn things around and still fill a rotation spot once pitchers start moving at the trade deadline.
20. Willi Castro, SS, Tigers (AAA) (ETA: August)
Castro is in a funk so he slides down the list and looks like more of an August-add now. He’s hitting just .182 over the past 10 games, which has dropped his average down below .300 for the first time since early April. On the plus side, he’s showing more patience in June than any other time this year with 17 walks in 27 games.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings (21-30)
21. Ryan Mountcastle, 1B/3B, Orioles (AAA) (ETA: August)
Let’s celebrate Mountcastle for a moment. The young hitter took his first walk in 16 games, which was one of just three that he took in June - against 33 strikeouts. Even with that repugnant plate approach, Mountcastle hit .297 with three homers over his past 10 games. Perhaps the Orioles’ big league coaches can succeed where the Triple-A coaches have failed and work some magic on his approach at the plate. There is obvious talent here and the Orioles could use some help (although they’re likely very happy with a shot at the first overall draft pick for two years in a row).
22. Deivi Garcia, RHP, Yankees (AA) (ETA: August)
He stands just 5-9 and is 20 years old. But Garcia also has a 2.68 ERA in nine Double-A starts. He’s allowed just 29 hits in 47 innings. He’s struck out an eye-catching 76 batters. On the downside, he’s allowed 22 walks. The immensely-talented hurler is a long-shot to pitch meaningful innings for the Yankees this year but stranger things have happened.
23. Matt Manning, RHP, Tigers (AA) (ETA: August)
Manning has allowed more than three runs in a game just once this season and it came way back on April 30. His ERA sits at 2.60 and he has a K-BB of 102-28 through 86.2 innings. If Matthew Boyd is sent packing during the trade deadline it would be fun to see Manning get the call to start building a solid foundation for the 2020 season since the Tigers would still control him for at least six seasons after this year.
24. Jake Fraley, OF, Mariners (AAA) (ETA: August)
Fraley’s mini-slump is a distant memory and the speedy outfielder is hitting .317 in nine Triple-A games. He has 13 hits, which includes three doubles and three triples. He’s also stolen three bases in four tries. The Rays rarely make mistakes but letting Fraley go in last year’s deal with Seattle may end up being one move that they regret.
25. Monte Harrison, OF, Marlins (AAA) (ETA: August)
Harrison has a hit in every game he’s played in since returning from injury and he’s actually done a better job of making consistent contact in that small sample size. The 23-year-old outfielder has a lot of raw power but he also has some intriguing speed and is 20-for-21 in attempts on the year.
26. Nick Gordon, SS, Twins (AAA) (ETA: August)
Gordon seems to be pulling out of a mini-slump and might be ready to get hot. He’s 6-for-19 with three steaks over his past four games. That’s a big improvement over the full 10-game stretch that saw him post a BB-K of 1-18.
27. Kean Wong, 2B/OF, Rays (AAA) (ETA: August)
Wong continues to toil away in Triple-A and is hitting .356 over his past 10 games. His batting average on the year sits at .347 through 66 Triple-A games. His on-base average is at .410. And he has played at least one game at every position except catcher and first base.
28. Brandon Bielak, RHP, Astros (AAA) (ETA: August)
Jose Urquidy will get the first opportunity to start for the Astros but Bielak may not be far behind, depending on how the trade deadline plays out. He’s allowed just four earned runs over his past three Triple-A starts spanning 19 innings. He also produces above-average ground-ball rates.
29. Nick Madrigal, 2B, White Sox (AA) (ETA: August)
Yolmer Sanchez’s offense has really dried up which could create an opportunity for Madrigal in the second half - especially if the White Sox remain in the playoff hunt. He’s actually been hitting better in Double-A than he did in High-A and has a BB-K of 7-2 in 20 games. The challenge for Madrigal will be driving the ball against big league pitching - he has just 19 extra base hits in 69 games in the minors this season.
30. Michel Baez, RHP, Padres (AA) (ETA: August)
Baez is one of two relievers on the list. Converted to relief after coming back from an injury, the hulking right-hander has 29 strikeouts in 18.1 innings. He could be an interesting arm for the Padres down the stretch with his ability to pitch multiple innings and rack up the strikeouts.
More MLB Prospects Analysis
