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Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, and C.J. Abrams may have arrived in The Show already but the Triple-A level (and even Double-A) is littered with prospects looking to have explosive impacts at the MLB level in 2022.
Quite a few top prospects are off to strong starts at the Triple-A level -- albeit in small sample sizes of 14 to 16 games. With expanded rosters for the month of April and injury concerns starting to pop up, some of the prospects below will no doubt receive an opportunity sooner rather than later. In particular, keep an eye on the middle infields for Cleveland, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh.
Below, you’ll find a list of the top 25 fantasy baseball prospects rankings to know for the 2022 redraft baseball season, which RotoBaller will be updating regularly throughout the season. You’ll find quite a few well-known prospects on the list — as well as some lesser-known players that could nonetheless provide key contributions to your fantasy league teams this season.
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Top MLB Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball
The list below is for 2022 fantasy baseball redraft leagues. These are MLB prospects, rookies and call-ups to potentially make a fantasy baseball impact in 2022. You can also see our top-250 fantasy baseball dynasty prospects for longer-term outlooks.
| Ranking | Player | Pos | Team | Age | ETA |
| 1 | Gabriel Arias | SS | CLE | 21 | May |
| 2 | Nolan Gorman | 2B/3B | STL | 21 | May |
| 3 | Oneil Cruz | SS | PIT | 23 | May |
| 4 | Heliot Ramos | OF | SF | 22 | May |
| 5 | Triston Casas | 1B | BOS | 22 | June |
| 6 | Grayson Rodriguez | SP | BAL | 22 | June |
| 7 | Jose Miranda | 3B/1B | MIN | 23 | June |
| 8 | Riley Greene | OF | DET | 21 | July |
| 9 | Kyle Muller | SP | ATL | 24 | June |
| 10 | Adley Rutschman | C | BAL | 24 | July |
| 11 | Alek Thomas | OF/2B | ARI | 21 | June |
| 12 | Max Meyer | SP | MIA | 23 | May |
| 13 | Royce Lewis | SS/OF | MIN | 22 | June |
| 14 | Gabriel Moreno | C | TOR | 22 | July |
| 15 | Shane Baz | SP | TB | 22 | June |
| 16 | Alec Burleson | OF | STL | 23 | June |
| 17 | Miguel Vargas | 3B | LAD | 22 | July |
| 18 | Mason Martin | 1B | PIT | 22 | July |
| 19 | Elehuris Montero | 3B/1B | COL | 23 | July |
| 21 | Oswaldo Cabrera | IF | NYY | 23 | July |
| 22 | Juan Yepez | 1B | STL | 24 | July |
| 23 | Nick Pratto | 1B | KC | 23 | July |
| 24 | George Kirby | SP | SEA | 24 | July |
| 25 | Ryan Noda | 1B/OF | LAD | 26 | July |
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #1-5
1. Gabriel Arias, SS/3B: I thought Arias would have broken camp with the Guardians but he was optioned down to Triple-A for a second straight season. He’s striking out too much but he’s showing a little more patience than in the past and half of his hits have gone for extra bases. Arias’ path to playing time is a little murky with Jose Ramirez at third base but the rookie has more offensive upside than Amed Rosario.
2. Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B: Tommy Edman is off to a fast start with the bat at the MLB level but Gorman has also been hitting well — albeit with too much swing-and-miss. The infield prospect has gone deep eight times through his first 15 games.
3. Oneil Cruz, SS: Cruz was a surprise demotion to start the year but the Pirates could still be playing service time games given that they aren’t likely to be competitive any time soon. He’s holding his own at Triple-A but has yet to tap into his raw power. Kevin Newman should be looking over his shoulder nonetheless.
4. Heliot Ramos, OF: Ramos got a taste of big-league action last week but once again finds himself in the minors. With Darin Ruf, Austin Slater, and Mike Yastrzemski all struggling with the bat, the rookie outfielder could soon receive a longer leash.
5. Triston Casas, 1B: Bobby Dalbec is off to another slow start and if he continues to scuffle for the next month or so, it could be time for Casas to show what he can do on the big stage. The young first baseman is off to a solid start at Triple-A and has slugged four home runs with 13 walks through 17 games.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #6-15
6. Grayson Rodriguez, SP: Through three Triple-A games, Rodriguez has a 23-2 K-BB ratio in nine innings of work. He’d be even higher on the list if I thought he’d have even an average offense behind him to help him rack up wins.
7. Jose Miranda, 3B/1B: If he could play the outfield, Miranda would likely already be in the majors given the Twins’ injury issues. After 2021, he really has nothing left to prove in the minors — although he’s off to a slow offensive start and has a disappointing 4-13 BB-K ratio through 16 games.
8. Riley Greene, OF: Greene finds himself on the sidelines while recovering from a broken foot suffered at the end of spring training. Aside from Austin Meadows, the Tigers’ outfielders are struggling mightily so the club is no doubt eager to see Greene get healthy.
9. Kyle Muller, SP: Muller wasn’t able to crack the opening day roster with the Braves but he’s got a 28-7 K-BB ratio through 19.2 innings at Triple-A. He should force his way back into the big-league picture before too long.
10. Adley Rutschman, C: Rutschman continues to work his way back from an injury suffered in the spring. He should be up this summer if all goes well.
11. Alek Thomas, OF: Thomas is off to a solid-but-unspectacular start to his season at Triple-A but should still be the next outfielder promoted by the Diamondbacks. With that said, Corbin Carroll is off to a scorching start at Double-A and arguably has a higher ceiling.
12. Max Meyer, SP: With Edward Cabrera dealing with an injury, Meyer could be the next arm in line for a promotion with the Marlins. He’s been excellent through four Triple-A starts with just nine hits allowed and a 27-5 K-BB ratio through nine innings of work.
13. Royce Lewis, SS/OF: Lewis is looking to make up for lost time after missing all of the 2021 season due to injury. He’s striking out a little too much but he’s showing good speed and has seen eight of his 11 hits go for extra bases.
14. Gabriel Moreno, C: The Jays opened the spring with some strong catching depth but Reese McGuire was traded (for another catcher - who can’t catch), Danny Jansen was injured, and Alejandro Kirk has not looked good at the plate this year. That could open up a spot for Moreno, who is off to an encouraging start to the year in Triple-A.
15. Shane Baz, SP: Baz is still working his way back from an injury but he’s proven to be MLB ready and has some of the highest upside in the minors.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #16-25
16. Alec Burleson, OF: Burleson was rushed through the minors last year, which negatively impacted his overall numbers and has caused people to underestimate his potential. He’s back in Triple-A to begin the 2022 season and has looked good so far with 10 hits — including five home runs — through 14 games.
17. Miguel Vargas, 3B/1B: Vargas doesn’t have a clear path to playing time at the big league level but he’s getting on base and producing power at Triple-A. If an injury occurs at 1B, 3B, or DH, he's deserving of a shot to prove himself.
18. Mason Martin, 1B: Martin isn’t the most well-known prospect but he’s got intriguing power and is pushing for an opportunity at the MLB level with the Pirates. He’s hitting .316 and has seen 13 of his 18 hits go for extra bases.
19. Elehuris Montero, 3B/1B: Montero had a nice bounce-back year in 2021 after a horrendous 2019 season (and lost 2020), and he’s off to a good start this year. He could soon be ready to steal at-bats away from Ryan McMahon at the hot corner.
20. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: Brujan hasn’t played since April 6 so he appears to be dealing with an injury. Update: Brujan was promoted to the majors on Sunday April 24 and went 0-for-3 with a walk in his debut.
21. Oswaldo Cabrera, SS: It’ll be an interesting race between Oswald Peraza and Cabrera to see who reaches the majors first. With the Yankees’ infielders (other than Anthony Rizzo) scuffling, it could happen sooner rather than later — although neither infield prospect is hitting overly well right now.
22. Juan Yepez, 1B: Yepez has five home runs through 16 games at Triple-A but he’s swinging and missing too much and has an ugly 1-16 BB-K ratio. The addition of Albert Pujols has blocked him for now.
23. Nick Pratto, 1B: Pratto has three home runs through 16 games but he’s also striking out almost 40% of the time, which is a significant concern. The Royals will no doubt be patient with him after seeing Bobby Witt Jr. struggle early this season.
24. George Kirby, SP: Kirby has a 20-3 K-BB ratio in 14 2/3 innings so far this year at Double-A. After making six starts at the same level in 2021, he’s likely headed to Triple-A soon and could be in the majors by the summer.
25. Ryan Noda, 1B: Although he’s already 26, keep an eye on Noda — if the Dodgers can find a spot for him to play. He’s an on-base machine who started to really tap into his raw power last year after being traded from the Blue Jays to the Dodgers. He slugged 29 home runs last year and already has four through 17 Triple-A games in 2022.
Honorable Mentions: MJ Melendez, C; Korey Lee, C; Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B; Michael Busch, 2B; Pedro Leon, SS/OF; Brennen Davis, OF; Oscar Gonzalez, OF; Peyton Burdick, OF; Edward Cabrera, SP; Luis Gil, P
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