1 | 1. Francisco Mejia | |
---|---|---|
2 | Position: C | Mejia still gets dogged a little by scouts as a receiver, but his plus-plus hit tool and plus-plus arm should be enough to justify him getting 120-130 starts annually behind the dish. He won't be a big-time slugger by any stretch, but his peak offensive seasons could look a lot like Jonathan Lucroy's. |
3 | Age on 4/1/17: 21 | |
4 | Likely assignment: Double-A Akron | |
5 | Overall rank: 45 | |
6 | ||
7 | 2. Triston McKenzie | |
8 | Position: RHP | Perhaps no pitcher in the lower levels screams projection like McKenzie. His wiry frame might scare some off, but he has starter’s traits and as he matures physically he could turn turn into a top-of-the-rotation stud. He should spend most of his age-19 season at High-A. |
9 | Age on 4/1/17: 19 | |
10 | Likely assignment: High-A Lynchburg | |
11 | Overall rank: 58 | |
12 | ||
13 | 3. Greg Allen | |
14 | Position: OF | Allen checks all the boxes of a future leadoff hitter. He gets on base a ton, has plus speed and a potentially plus hit tool. The fact that he turns 24 in March may lead to him still being slightly undervalued. Speed is at a premium, and Allen should be in the big leagues this summer. |
15 | Age on 4/1/17: 24 | |
16 | Likely assignment: Double-A Akron | |
17 | Overall rank: 63 | |
18 | ||
19 | 4. Bobby Bradley | |
20 | Position: 1B | When push comes to shove, it's hard to rank someone with Bradley's obvious contact issues much higher than this, even when considering he has as much game power as any prospect in the minors. He would rank higher in OBP leagues, but his batting average might top out around .240. |
21 | Age on 4/1/17: 20 | |
22 | Likely assignment: Double-A Akron | |
23 | Overall rank: 69 | |
24 | ||
25 | 5. Bradley Zimmer | |
26 | Position: OF | A potential 20/20 threat, Zimmer looks the part of a big league regular and can handle all three outfield spots. However, in 2016 major contact issues arose due to a lengthy swing. The hit tool now projects as average or fringe average. He should be ready to contribute this summer and is a better bet in OBP leagues. |
27 | Age on 4/1/17: 24 | |
28 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Columbus | |
29 | Overall rank: 70 | |
30 | ||
31 | 6. Will Benson | |
32 | Position: OF | Benson projects to have plus-plus raw power, but it is unclear if he will be able to get to it, as his hit tool is currently below average. He is also an average runner. If he hits, he will be an All-Star. If he does not hit, he may never reach the big leagues. |
33 | Age on 4/1/17: 18 | |
34 | Likely assignment: short-season Mahoning Valley | |
35 | Overall rank: 102 | |
36 | ||
37 | 7. Yu-Cheng Chang | |
38 | Position: SS | Chang's production relative to age and level remains impressive, and there are those who think he can stick at shortstop. Even if he moves to second base, there is the potential for a .280 hitter who routinely challenges for 20-plus homers. |
39 | Age on 4/1/17: 21 | |
40 | Likely assignment: Double-A Akron | |
41 | Overall rank: 129 | |
42 | ||
43 | 8. Nolan Jones | |
44 | Position: 3B | This is an opportunity to buy low on Jones, who projects to be a prototypical bat-first third baseman, yet fell in the draft and did not hit for power in his first taste of pro ball. He is still maturing physically, but could grow into plus power while hitting .260 or .270 with a ton of walks in his peak seasons. |
45 | Age on 4/1/17: 18 | |
46 | Likely assignment: short-season Mahoning Valley | |
47 | Overall rank: 170 | |
48 | ||
49 | 9. Brady Aiken | |
50 | Position: LHP | His fastball velocity (89-91 mph) and command were not all the way back to pre Tommy John surgery form last year, and they will need to return in order for him to profile as even a mid-roation arm. Another underwhelming campaign will render him droppable in most formats. |
51 | Age on 4/1/17: 20 | |
52 | Likely assignment: Low-A Lake County | |
53 | Overall rank: 176 | |
54 | ||
55 | 10. Yandy Diaz | |
56 | Position: 3B | Diaz's tools don't grade out all that well. In fact, he may not have an above average offensive tool. However, he has a unique contact-oriented/OBP-heavy statistical profile that can occassionally allow players to outperform their scouting report. He will be ready to help in the big leagues this summer. |
57 | Age on 4/1/17: 25 | |
58 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Columbus | |
59 | Overall rank: 220 | |
60 | ||
61 | 11. Mark Mathias | |
62 | Position: 2B | Mathias can really hit, but it is unclear if he will hit for enough power to profile as a starter at the keystone. The fact that he is right-handed and not particularly young for his previous levels does not help him stand out as a second base prospect worth gambling on in most dynasty leagues. |
63 | Age on 4/1/17: 22 | |
64 | Likely assignment: Double-A Akron | |
65 | Overall rank: 261 | |
66 | ||
67 | 12. Oscar Gonzalez | |
68 | Position: OF | After the top six on this list, Gonzalez has the most fantasy upside in the system. He has huge raw power, although it comes from the right side, so he will need to avoid major platoon splits in order to profile as an everyday player. He will also need to demonstrate more patience, but given his age and raw tools, he is still pretty exciting. |
69 | Age on 4/1/17: 19 | |
70 | Likely assignment: short-season Mahoning Valley | |
71 | Overall rank: 266 | |
72 | ||
73 | 13. Tim Cooney | |
74 | Position: LHP | Don't forget about Cooney in deep single-season leagues. A shoulder injury led to him missing all of 2016, and the Indians scooped him up on waivers after the season. When healthy he makes up for a fringe average fastball with excellent command with a nasty changeup from the left side. |
75 | Age on 4/1/17: 26 | |
76 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Columbus | |
77 | Overall rank: 346 | |
78 | ||
79 | 14. Erik Gonzalez | |
80 | Position: SS | Gonzalez has the glove to be an everyday shortstop, but he would need an injury to Francisco Lindor to get that opportunity in Cleveland. The bat is a little light, but he could hit for a somewhat empty .275 with 15 steals and a handful of homers over a full season. |
81 | Age on 4/1/17: 25 | |
82 | Likely assignment: MLB | |
83 | Overall rank: 365 | |
84 | ||
85 | 15. Willi Castro | |
86 | Position: SS | Castro's numbers certainly haven't been great, but he has also been one of the youngest players at each level so far, so he needs to be graded on a curve. He could be a shortstop who hits 15 homers with 15 steals and a .260 average over a full season, but may ultimately be destined for a utility role. |
87 | Age on 4/1/17: 19 | |
88 | Likely assignment: High-A Lynchburg | |
89 | Overall rank: 386 | |
90 | ||
91 | 16. Gabriel Mejia | |
92 | Position: OF | Mejia's 80-grade speed gives hope to him someday carving out a Ben Revere/Rajai Davis type of role where he finds his way to 30-plus steals each season despite never being embraced as an everyday player. However, that glass-half-full outlook is at least four years away from being a reality. |
93 | Age on 4/1/17: 21 | |
94 | Likely assignment: Low-A Lake County | |
95 | Overall rank: 397 | |
96 | ||
97 | 17. Juan Hillman | |
98 | Position: LHP | Lefties with potentially plus changeups and solid command tend to outperform expectations, but Hillman is so far away that it is not yet worth stashing him, even in really deep leagues. If he can add a couple ticks to his fastball and start missing more bats, he would be worthy of consideration. |
99 | Age on 4/1/17: 19 | |
100 | Likely assignment: Low-A Lake County | |
101 | Overall rank: Not ranked |