Updated Top 50 MLB Prospects for Redraft Leagues

July 21, 2020

Marc Hulet provides his final preseason update to his Top 50 prospects for 2020 redraft leagues. The list will be updated weekly through the fantasy season.

After a long wait, the 2020 MLB season is almost here. But it’s also going to be a season unlike any season we’ve ever seen. This year is going to feel more like a sprint rather than a six-month marathon.

If you’re a fan of prospects — or simply looking for a competitive edge in your fantasy league — then this could be a great year to dive in and really immerse yourself in the world of prospects. The 2020 season could create a perfect storm for key prospects to have significant roles in redraft leagues.

In recent years, more and more teams have begun to aggressively push their prospects through the minors. Teams are also far more willing to hand key roles to unproven youngsters. On top of that, we have a short, 60-game schedule this year that could make contenders out of teams expected to finish near the bottom of the league. If a team like the Tigers gets off to a fast start, they may be tempted to promote players such as Casey Mize and Matt Manning to the Majors more quickly than they planned. With that in mind, we’ve refreshed our Top 50 redraft prospects for 2020.

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Top 50 MLB Redraft Prospects Rankings

Top 10 Prospects for 2020 Redraft Leagues

Luis Robert, OF, White Sox: Robert has been wowing at Summer Camp and comes with electric bat speed. The big question with this young hitter is how well he’ll handle Major League breaking balls and off-speed pitches. But his bat speed is so good that, when he’s locked in, he has the ability to adjust even when he’s fooled. There is 30-30 potential here in a full season. But one thing to be mindful of is that Robert is a very, very streaky hitter so with a short season this could a very negative thing -- especially if he gets off to a slow start.

Gavin Lux, SS/2B, Dodgers: After a modest first full season in pro ball in 2017, Lux has quickly turned himself into one of the best young hitters in the game. After hitting nearly .400 in a half-season of Triple last year, he’s ready to assume a full-time role for the Dodgers. There is some swing-and-miss to his game — which has increased the more he’s developed his in-game power — but it should lower again as he gains additional experience and will make his batting average less reliant on a strong BABIP. But, because he hits the ball consistently hard and has good wheels, he should have no issue posting strong BABIPs for the foreseeable future. Lux could develop into a .300 hitter with 30-home run potential.

Carter Kieboom, 3B, Nationals: With a number of Nationals players sitting out the season it opens up definitive playing time for Kieboom. The young hitter’s strong offensive season at the Triple-A level in 2019 was forgotten a little bit after he struggled at the MLB level. Kieboom has the potential to be a .280 hitter with 20+ home runs and a strong on-base presence that could increase his value in on-base leagues. With experience playing second base, third base, and shortstop, multiple-position eligibility would also make him more valuable. If you're currently unhappy with your third base option, Kieboom could be a sneaky pickup with great upside.

Nate Pearson, RHP, Blue Jays: The hard-throwing Pearson is MLB ready. But service time considerations could keep him off the main roster for a couple of weeks as the Jays look to balance long-term viability with the potential for a win-now approach in a shortened season. Pearson can hit 100 mph with movement and throws four pitches for strikes. Toss in a work-horse frame and you have a true frontline talent if he stays healthy.

Brendan McKay, LHP, Rays: There is talk that McKay may not break camp with the Rays because he came in late and there is decent depth ahead of him. I’d be shocked if he’s not with the big league club within a week or two of the season beginning given that the Rays will want to get off to a strong start to try and keep up with the Yankees. McKay isn’t overpowering but he hits 95 mph with his heater and shows four average-or-better offerings with above-average control. He’s also been a two-way player so he may even better as he focuses (almost) solely on pitching.

Jo Adell, OF, Angels: As we approach the season, the Angels have yet to tip their hand with Adell. More than likely, he’ll open the year working with the secondary roster while Brian Goodwin gets an opportunity to play every day. But Adell shouldn’t be down for long after showing he was close to big-league ready in 2019 before getting hurt. He was on pace for a 20+ home run season before injuries struck and he has impressive raw power that he’s finally getting to on a consistent basis. Adell has good speed but has never been much of a base stealer. Instead, the speed helps him post strong BABIP results which give his batting average a consistent boost and help offset the high strikeout rates he’s posted (which are of minor concern).

Sean Murphy, C, Athletics: If Murphy can stay healthy — something he’s had issues with in recent years — he has a chance to provide above-average power at the plate. He really found his in-game pop in 2019 with 10 home runs in 120 at-bats in Triple-A and then another four in 53 big-league at-bats. He’s also been a .280+ hitter with a strong understanding of the strike zone in the minors.

Nick Solak, IF/OF, Rangers: If he can find regular playing time (and the Willie Calhoun injury helps), Solak has a chance to be an above-average offensive player. And his ability to move all over the diamond only increases his fantasy value. He’s been an above-average hitter at every single stop he’s made in the minors and has really tapped into his raw power over the past two years. After going deep 19 times in 2018, Solak slugged 32 home runs between two Triple-A stops and the Majors in 2019. He’s also a good base runner and has a chance to offer 10+ steals in a full season. His strong walk totals make him a potential beast in on-base leagues.

Evan White, 1B, Mariners: White has moved up significantly on the Top 50 list since March. The Mariners are committed to giving him everyday at-bats and he’s made key adjustments to his swing. White has looked good in Summer Camp while getting used to the changes that have seen him hit more balls in the air and fewer on the ground — a trend that started to improve during the 2019 season at Triple-A when he hit a career-high 18 home runs. White may never be a true “slugger” at first base but 20+ home runs with a chance at hitting .290+ make him an interesting player.

Dustin May, RHP, Dodgers: Even with the injury bug hitting the starting rotation in Summer Camp, the Dodgers remained poised to have some of the best starting pitching depth in the league — which means May could start the year in the rotation — or even on the secondary roster. But even with its depth, the Dodgers rotation is brittle so this young hurler should get an opportunity to prove himself before too long. His combination of stuff and plus command/control gives him a high ceiling — and the strong offensive support won’t hurt, either.

Wildcard Prospects:

Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Athletics: This young southpaw was previously within the Top 10 but his start to the season could be delayed after he contracted the new coronavirus. When he gets back up to full strength, Luzardo has the weapons to pile up strikeouts and, in general, overpower MLB hitters. The big question is: How good the offense will be and will pitchers like Luzardo and A.J. Puk have runs on the board to work with and help them pile up some wins?

A.J. Puk, LHP, Athletics: Like Luzardo, Puk is expected to throw key innings for the A’s in 2020. However, he’s also thrown just 36.2 competitive innings over the past two and a half seasons. How much rust will he have? How durable will he be? Puk has a sky-high ceiling but how also comes with a lot of question marks.

Brendan Rodgers, SS, Rockies: Another wildcard thanks to injury, Rodgers showed last season that he has nothing left to prove in the minors. However, a very serious shoulder injury derailed the second half of his 2019 season. If he bounces back with no ill effects — and if manager Bud Black actually trusts him with regular playing time — then Rodgers could be a serious threat with the bat with the ability to hit for both power and average.

Nick Madrigal, 2B, White Sox: We've heard a lot of hype out of camp about Luis Robert, but the Sox have yet to tip their hand on their plans with Madrigal. He's an intriguing prospect who should eventually hit .300 with 20-30 steals in a full season but he also managed just 36 extra-base hits in 2019 while playing at three levels over a 120-game season. He may need to get a little stronger before he's ready to consistently face big-league pitching.

Dylan Carlson, OF, Cardinals: Carlson has a chance to make an impact in 2020 but he also has to wade through some outfield depth ahead of him, including fellow young outfielders in Tyler O’Neill and Lane Thomas. Carlson has a chance to provide some serious power but I’m not 100% sold on the hit tool or his ability to provide consistent steals.

Kyle Lewis, OF, Mariners: Like Carlson above, Lewis has a chance to push for playing time and flash some serious pop. He’s struggled to stay healthy and get the most out of his tools while playing in the minors. But he's also looked really good since reaching the Majors. He might be one of those rare players that need the spotlight on them to truly shine. Of course, the juiced ball also really helped.

MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Padres: Gore is another player who could benefit from a short season if the Padres get off to a strong start to the season. He may be one of the best arms on the Padres’ pitching staff despite having pitched just 21.2 innings above A-ball. The Padres don’t hesitate to think outside the box and push players they think are ready so Gore could pitch significant innings for San Diego in 2020.

Sleeper Prospects

Sam Hilliard, OF, Rockies: The loss of Ian Desmond for the season could open up playing time for Hilliard. The Rockies tend to be inconsistent with the playing time they provide to rookies but this young slugger could force their hand. He has plus raw power potential that could really play well in Coors Field, as well as above-average speed that gives him the ability to steal 20 bases in a full season. Hilliard slugged 35 home runs in Triple-A last year and then added seven more in the Majors in just 77 at-bats. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he has long arms and swings from the heels at times so he’ll likely always strike out a lot but the speed could help him post above-average BABIPs.

Brent Rooker, 1B/OF, Twins: I’ve been beating the drum for Rooker for a little while now and a season like this could be exactly what he needs to sneak into a big-league role. He played just 67 games due to injury but slugged 14 home runs and, overall, 30 of his 66 hits went for extra bases. He’ll swing and miss quite a bit but the power tradeoff is worth it. My biggest concern with Rooker is that the Twins have a lot of outfield depth with the likes of Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach also looking for playing time so he’ll likely need some help (injuries) to get significant at-bats.

Wander Franco, SS, Rays: Yes, Franco is only 19 and hasn’t played above High-A ball but we’re also talking about a generational talent. The young hitter also performed at a high level at both A-ball stops that he made in 2019 and could have made quick work of Double-A this year had the pandemic not hit. Franco is still working on getting stronger and hasn’t translated his outstanding bat speed into over-the-fence pop just yet, but it’s coming. He also has a career .336 batting average in two seasons and posted a BB-K of 56-35 in 114 games last year while playing against pitchers mostly four to five years older than him.

Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Dodgers: Gonsolin is another player I’ve been supporting for a while now. He has a ceiling higher than other Dodgers pitchers being looked at for starting pitcher roles in 2020, including Ross Stripling and maybe — just maybe — even Dustin May. In his first taste of big-league action, Gonsolin held hitters to a .177 batting average. He can hit the mid-90s with his heater and can command four pitches, which is rare for a young pitcher. This young pitcher had a similar swinging-strike rate (12.2%) to Walker Buehler.

Josh Lowe, OF, Rays: Lowe has a chance to be Kyle Tucker for a much smaller investment. The former first-round pick has teased us with his raw potential for a few years now but he finally found his in-game power in 2019 with 18 home runs. He also walked 59 times in 121 games and showed his above-average speed with 30 steals. Both Tucker and Lowe found their power at almost the exact same point in their career although the Rays prospect swings-and-misses more than the Astros outfielder so there likely won’t be quite as much value in the batting average department.

Daulton Varsho, OF/C, Diamondbacks: Varsho’s ability to play the outfield as well as catcher makes him very valuable in fantasy baseball — as long as he plays enough behind the plate to remain eligible there. He is very athletic for a catcher with a strong hit tool. As long as he doesn’t play too much behind the dish and wear down, he has a chance to be a .280+ hitter with 20 home runs and 15-20 steals.

Bryan Abreu, RHP, Astros: Abreu has nasty stuff. He can get his heater up into the 95-97 mph range and throws two breaking balls that both show plus potential. If he can find more consistent command and control, he has frontline stuff. The downside is that he’s so overpowering as a reliever — and the win-now Astros’ pitching depth is so thin — that he’s more likely than not to be pushed to the Majors as a reliever. If things shift and/or the command/control improve enough for him to start, Abreu has big, big upside.

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