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The truncated spring training is winding down and we are only days away from the 2022 Major League Baseball season.
Over the past week, the opening day rosters have started to come into focus — although a lot of rookies’ opening day assignments remain in question. Even with a lot of unknowns, we have the makings of a strong MLB rookie class for 2022, especially among the hitters with the likes of Bobby Witt Jr. and Spencer Torkelson making their respective clubs — and strong spring performances from Seth Beer, Bryson Stott, and Julio Rodriguez. The young pitching is a little less impressive than it has been in recent years, but there are some gems to be had.
This weekly article on the Top 50 fantasy baseball prospects rankings for redraft leagues will be with you all season long, as we work diligently behind the scenes to predict the next big impact arm or bat to reach the majors in 2022. At the beginning of last season, we predicted the top offensive rookie hitter (by wRC+) in Randy Arozarena and heavily promoted Jonathan India and Dylan Carlson — two more key rookie hitters from 2021. This year, we expect even bigger things from rookies in Kansas City, Arizona, and Detroit in 2022. We hope you’ll stick with us all season long — it’s going to be a wild ride.
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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 | Bobby Witt Jr. | SS | KC | 21 | April |
| 2 | Seth Beer | DH/1B | ARI | 25 | April |
| 3 | Spencer Torkelson | 1B/3B | DET | 22 | April |
| 4 | Bryson Stott | SS | PHI | 24 | April |
| 5 | Julio Rodriguez | OF | SEA | 21 | April |
| 6 | Keibert Ruiz | C | WAS | 23 | April |
| 7 | Kevin Smith | 3B/SS | OAK | 25 | April |
| 8 | Josh Lowe | OF | TB | 24 | April |
| 9 | Nolan Gorman | 2B/3B | STL | 21 | May |
| 10 | Hunter Greene | SP | CIN | 22 | April |
| 11 | Gabriel Arias | SS | CLE | 21 | May |
| 12 | Aaron Ashby | SP | MIL | 23 | April |
| 13 | Nate Pearson | SP/RP | TOR | 25 | April |
| 14 | Jarren Duran | OF | BOS | 25 | May |
| 15 | Joey Bart | C | SF | 25 | April |
| 16 | Oneil Cruz | SS | PIT | 23 | May |
| 17 | Shane Baz | SP | TB | 22 | May |
| 18 | CJ Abrams | SS/OF | SD | 21 | May |
| 19 | Alek Thomas | OF/2B | ARI | 21 | May |
| 20 | Jose Miranda | 3B/1B | MIN | 23 | May |
| 21 | Joe Ryan | SP | MIN | 25 | April |
| 22 | Adley Rutschman | C | BAL | 24 | June |
| 23 | Matt Brash | SP | SEA | 23 | April |
| 24 | Edward Cabrera | SP | MIA | 23 | June |
| 25 | Vidal Brujan | OF/2B | TB | 24 | June |
| 26 | Tristan Casas | 1B | BOS | 22 | June |
| 27 | MacKenzie Gore | SP | SD | 22 | June |
| 28 | Juan Yepez | 1B | STL | 24 | July |
| 29 | Camilo Doval | RP | SF | 24 | April |
| 30 | Geraldo Perdomo | SS | ARI | 22 | June |
| 31 | Riley Greene | OF | DET | 21 | July |
| 32 | George Kirby | SP | SEA | 24 | June |
| 33 | Luis Gil | SP/RP | NYY | 23 | June |
| 34 | Nick Pratto | 1B | KC | 23 | July |
| 35 | Jose Barrero | SS | CIN | 23 | June |
| 36 | Brennen Davis | OF | CHC | 22 | July |
| 37 | Reid Detmer | SP | LAA | 22 | July |
| 38 | Kyle Muller | SP | ATL | 24 | June |
| 39 | Bobby Miller | SP | LAD | 22 | July |
| 40 | Gabriel Moreno | C | TOR | 22 | July |
| 41 | Nick Lodolo | SP | CIN | 24 | June |
| 42 | MJ Melendez | C | KC | 23 | July |
| 43 | Tucker Davidson | SP | ATL | 25 | July |
| 44 | Miguel Vargas | 3B | LAD | 22 | July |
| 45 | JJ Bleday | OF | MIA | 24 | July |
| 46 | Alec Burleson | OF | STL | 23 | July |
| 47 | Royce Lewis | SS/OF | MIN | 22 | July |
| 48 | Grayson Rodriguez | SP | BAL | 22 | July |
| 49 | Jeremy Pena | SS | HOU | 24 | July |
| 50 | Matthew Liberatore | SP | STL | 22 | July |
2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #1-10
1. Bobby Witt Jr., SS/3B: Witt Jr. had an outstanding spring at the plate and enters the 2022 season with a chance to gain eligibility at two different defensive positions. He’s shown incredible growth as a player over the past year.
2. Seth Beer, 1B/DH: I’ve been on the Beer bandwagon since the start of the spring. He’s performed at a high level and appears to have won the everyday DH role. With a healthy, surgically-repaired shoulder, he could produce even more power this year.
3. Spencer Torkelson, 1B: As expected, Torkelson won the starting first base gig for Detroit with a strong showing this spring. He hasn’t hit a home run but he’s shown good extra-base pop and has controlled the strike zone very well.
4. Bryson Stott, 3B/SS: Stott has looked very good this spring and has a shot at beating out Alec Bohm for the starting job at the hot corner. The natural shortstop also had an excellent showing in the Arizona Fall League. He controls the strike zone, hits for a solid average, and has 15-20 home run potential.
5. Julio Rodriguez, OF: With the addition of Jesse Winker and the presence of young players Jarred Kelenic, Kyle Lewis, and Taylor Trammell ahead of him on the depth chart, it looked like Rodriguez would spend at least the first half of the year in Triple-A. However, Rodriguez has looked almost MLB-ready this spring despite having just 46 games of experience above A-ball and may not need much more minor league seasoning.
6. Keibert Ruiz, C: It’s been a bumpy spring for Ruiz but he’s also in his first spring with a new organization and has had to work with a lot of new arms on the defensive side of things. Despite scuffling — and the presence of another good young catcher in Riley Adams — the former Dodgers prospect should be the top rookie catcher this year.
7. Kevin Smith, 3B/SS: The trade from Toronto to Oakland gives Smith a clear path to playing time in 2022. He hasn’t had the most impressive spring but he’s no doubt been pressing. He has a chance to be a solid performer for the A’s this season while playing a few different positions.
8. Josh Lowe, OF: There’s still no guarantee that Lowe makes the opening day roster but he should force his way into the picture before long given his intriguing power-speed combination.
9. Nolan Gorman, 2B/3B: It’s been a very rough spring with Gorman, who hasn’t hit well and was clearly pressing to make the team. On the plus side, Tommy Edman hasn’t looked good, either. Expected Gorman to go back down to Triple-A for some more reps and push his way to the majors before too long.
10. Hunter Greene, SP: I’ve always been a big fan of Greene and his ability to pair a power repertoire with above-average control — not to mention his above-average athleticism. He probably won’t garner many wins with the Reds this year but he should rack up some strikeouts.
Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #11-20
11. Gabriel Arias, 3B/SS: A trade of Jose Ramirez would make things a little easier on Arias but he could still be a solid contributor in 2022 even if the veteran sticks around. The prospect’s numbers have always taken a hit in the minors due to aggressive assignments relative to his age but he’s made a lot of contact this spring and has looked impressive.
12. Aaron Ashby, SP: Ashby doesn’t get a ton of press because he plays in Milwaukee but his stuff has ticked up significantly since he was drafted and he has the talent to perform at the level of a mid-rotation starter in 2022.
13. Nate Pearson, P: After sports hernia surgery in 2021, Pearson is healthy again and throwing easy gas. His command has still been a little hit-or-miss this spring but he’ll likely serve as a hybrid hurler for the Jays in 2022 (once he gets over his non-COVID illness).
14. Jarren Duran, OF: Boston knows it has little room for error in 2022 and will go with a veteran-heavy roster to start the year. That means Duran will have to force his way back to the majors but he has the talent to do it in short order.
15. Joey Bart, C: Bart has his warts — he doesn’t control the strike zone well at all and likely won’t hit for a high average — but he has plus raw power and the loss of Buster Posey gives the rookie a relatively clear path to playing time.
16. Oneil Cruz, SS: When spring training began, I thought Cruz has a good shot at opening the year in Pittsburgh but he’ll instead head back to Triple-A for some extra reps. He’ll likely be up within a month or two and he has plus raw power.
17. Shane Baz, SP: Baz would be within the top 10 if he was healthy because he has top-of-the-rotation upside. The elbow surgery is worrisome, though, and he’s never thrown 100+ innings in his pro career so his innings were already going to be monitored this year even before the injury.
18. CJ Abrams, SS/OF: The Padres really seem to want Abrams to force his way onto the club this spring but, after missing most of 2021 due to injury, he really needs at least a month or two back in the minors to help set him up for long-term success.
19. Alek Thomas, OF: The Diamondbacks are probably going to be pretty bad this year — and they don’t like to spend money — so young players like Seth Beer and Thomas should have every opportunity to become everyday players in 2022.
20. Jose Miranda, 3B/1B: The trade of Josh Donaldson helps Miranda a little bit but he’ll open the year back in Triple-A to work on his defense. He’ll likely mash his way back to the majors before too long — although he’s likely better suited to play at first base or DH.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #21-30
21. Joe Ryan, SP: Ryan looked very good during five big league starts in 2021 and he’s been strong this spring, as well. The Twins may not be very good in 2022 so wins could be hard to come by but Ryan could still offer up some solid strikeout numbers and doesn’t give up a lot of home runs.
22. Adley Rutschman, C: A lot of lists tabbed Rutschman as a top rookie for 2022 but I questioned his ability to be an impact bat even before he got hurt. Now, he’s guaranteed to open the year in the minors and, while he may not stay down all that long once he’s healthy, the focus on learning his pitchers and focusing on his defensive responsibilities could bite into his focus at the plate early in his MLB career.
23. Matt Brash, SP: Brash appears to have forced his way onto the opening day roster with a strong spring. To date, he’s allowed just three hits in 9 1/3 innings with a K-BB of 12-2. His career-high in innings pitched during a season is 97 1/3, though, so they’ll no doubt monitor his innings closely.
24. Edward Cabrera, SP: I’m a little surprised that the Marlins will start Cabrera in Triple-A — he has the raw talent to match any hurler in the rotation — but he does struggle with his control. Despite the springtime demotion, the young hurler should still spend a good portion of the year at the MLB level.
25. Vidal Brujan, IF/OF: Brujan has defensive versatility and a ton of speed on his side but his bat just hasn’t shown enough to push him through the outfield depth on the Rays roster. Still, his skill set has value so he should get a fair shot at playing time in 2022 once injuries start to pop up.
26. Triston Casas, 1B: As mentioned above, the Red Sox are going to field a veteran roster to begin the year but the likes of Bobby Dalbec and Travis Shaw likely won’t keep Casas down for long. He’ll likely force his way into the MLB picture by the summer.
27. MacKenzie Gore, SP: After a very worrisome 2021 season, Gore appears to be back to his old self. He’s shown good stuff this spring and the K-BB of 11-1 in nine innings is very encouraging. He’s yet another young arm who is going to have his innings watched very closely in 2022 so that impacts his ranking.
28. Juan Yepez, 1B: After a strong 2021 and an outstanding showing in the Arizona Fall League, Yepez doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors but the addition of veteran Albert Pujols likely keeps him from significant MLB at-bats early in the season.
29. Camilo Doval, RP: Doval doesn’t have a huge track record of success — he’s thrown less than 60 innings above A-ball — but he has a chance to see significant save opportunities early in the 2022 season. He also has impressive swing-and-miss stuff so he’ll rack up a lot of strikeouts in any role.
30. Geraldo Perdomo, SS: Perdomo was given a big-league opportunity in 2021 but he fell flat on his face. He looks much more confident this spring and could be well-positioned for success in 2022 once he’s given an opportunity.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #31-40
31. Riley Greene, OF: Greene’s bat was absolutely on fire this spring and he hit for both average and power (seven of his nine hits went for extra bases). Unfortunate news came down the pipe over the weekend, though, and the young outfielder will now miss up to two months due to a fractured foot.
32. George Kirby, SP: Kirby hasn’t had the most compelling spring showing but he’s an elite young arm and should push his way into the MLB picture before too long.
33. Luis Gil, P: The Yankees organization has significant pitching depth but Gil had a solid showing in 2021 and, if he can become more consistent with his command/control, he could surprise people in 2022.
34. Nick Pratto, 1B: Pratto has had a solid spring but there is no clear path to playing time early this season so he’ll likely open 2022 in Triple-A. The young first baseman also has fellow prospect Vinnie Pasquantino breathing down his neck and he's a significant challenger for big league playing time.
35. Jose Barrero, SS: Barrero was ranked much higher when the spring began but a hamate injury derailed any hope of the rookie making the opening day roster. Worse yet, it can take months to build the strength back up.
36. Brennen Davis, OF: The addition of Seiya Suzuki complicates things for Davis, who is almost ready for the majors. If he can find playing time in 2022, he has a high upside.
37. Reid Detmers, SP: In a perfect world, Detmers will spend the first half of 2022 at Triple-A after being rushed through the minors in 2021 — especially with the Angels in perennial win-now mode.
38. Kyle Muller, SP: It’s been a rough spring for Braves pitching and Muller has struggled with his command. Still, he’s had some success at the MLB level and has good stuff.
39. Bobby Miller, SP: Miller has just 9 1/3 innings of experience above A-ball but he’s looked excellent this spring and could be ready in a hurry for the Dodgers.
40. Gabriel Moreno, C: The Blue Jays have significant catching depth ahead of Moreno but he has the offensive talent to push his way into the big league picture — if he can stay healthy.
2022 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings #41-50
41. Nick Lodolo, SP: Lodolo doesn’t have the same upside as Hunter Greene but he has the ceiling of a No. 3/4 starter.
42. MJ Melendez, C: Melendez had an outstanding 2021 season and has looked very good this spring but Salvador Perez is going to be the everyday starter in Kansas City — barring injury.
43. Tucker Davidson, SP: As mentioned above, Braves hurlers have not fared well this spring but Davidson has looked solid while coming back from injury. He has a chance to be a sneaky-good arm in 2022 but the club will no doubt monitor his innings carefully.
44. Miguel Vargas, 3B: The trade of Matt Beaty clears up some depth ahead of Vargas, although the Dodgers organization is still flush with talent. This young hitter has yet to play at Triple-A but his strong 2021 showing suggests he won’t need much time there before he’s ready for a big-league shot.
45. JJ Bleday, OF: Bleday has struggled with consistency as a pro but he’s looked good this spring and appears to be in better shape. He could be up quickly if he hits well in Triple-A.
46. Alec Burleson, OF: Burleson was rushed through the minors in 2021 but he’s a solid talent and the Cardinals organization has an excellent track record of developing college players.
47. Royce Lewis, SS/OF: Lewis is a big wild card for 2022 after missing the 2021 season with a significant injury. Still, he has the makeup and athleticism to be an impact player.
48. Grayson Rodriguez, SP: Rodriguez is one of the most talented arms still in the minors but with the Orioles still in full rebuilding mode, I’m not convinced he’s going to pitch a significant number of big-league innings in 2022.
49. Jeremy Pena, SS: With Carlos Correa now in Minnesota, the shortstop job appears to be Pena’s — even though he missed a significant amount of the 2021 season due to injury. Originally a defensive-minded infielder, his bat is coming on fast but I don’t think he’ll be an impact hitter just yet.
50. Matthew Liberatore, SP: Liberatore has been pushed far too aggressively through the minors and he struggled in 2021 but depth issues in St. Louis should give him an opportunity to prove himself at the MLB level.
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