1 | 1. Royce Lewis | |
---|---|---|
2 | Position: SS/OF | I've heard Carlos Correa comps on Lewis, which I get because of the body, but from a production standpoint, he might be Mookie Betts 2.0. He doesn't have any weaknesses, other than his defense at shortstop, and should enter the league as a 30-steal threat and be a 25-homer threat by his mid-20s. |
3 | Age on 4/1/18: 18 | |
4 | Likely assignment: High-A Fort Myers | |
5 | Overall rank: 11 | |
6 | ||
7 | 2. Wander Javier | |
8 | Position: SS | Few prospects are as appealing and unproven as Javier. He should stick at shortstop and should grow into plus raw power, so it’s easy to see why dynasty-league owners are betting on the come. There is a lot of risk in overvaluing 18-year-olds with potential strikeout issues, but he has the upside to finish the year as a top-10 overall prospect. |
9 | Age on 4/1/18: 19 | |
10 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
11 | Overall rank: 61 | |
12 | ||
13 | ||
14 | 3. Akil Baddoo | |
15 | Position: OF | Baddoo has an excellent approach, and the makings of a plus hit tool. He has fringe-average power now, but could grow into 20-homer pop. While he is a plus runner, that may not last into his mid-20s. Ideally he will hit enough to lead off and offer Adam Eaton-esque production. |
16 | Age on 4/1/18: 19 | |
17 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
18 | Overall rank: 99 | |
19 | ||
20 | 4. Nick Gordon | |
21 | Position: SS/2B | He could be an everyday shortstop who provides some help in every category, which few upper-level prospects can claim. His utter lack of upside limits his dynasty-league appeal, however. Maybe he is a 15/15 guy who hits .270? That’s useful, but if he falls short of that, he would be waiver wire material in standard leagues. |
22 | Age on 4/1/18: 22 | |
23 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Rochester | |
24 | Overall rank: 104 | |
25 | ||
26 | ||
27 | 5. Alex Kirilloff | |
28 | Position: OF | He missed all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but the potential for a middle-of-the-order right fielder remains. Kirilloff heads to Low-A at age 20, so he’s not too far behind his contemporaries. If you can buy low based on the fact he hasn't played in a year, now is the time. |
29 | Age on 4/1/18: 20 | |
30 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
31 | Overall rank: 139 | |
32 | ||
33 | 6. Yunior Severino | |
34 | Position: 2B | Severino is a high-risk/high-reward middle-infield lottery ticket -- the type of teenage prospect worth rostering in deeper dynasty leagues over likely fourth outfielders and back-end starters who are close to the majors. He has 30-plus homer potential, and should be able to eventually handle second base. |
35 | Age on 4/1/18: 18 | |
36 | Likely assignment: Appalachian League | |
37 | Overall rank: 145 | |
38 | ||
39 | 7. Brent Rooker | |
40 | Position: OF/1B | Considering Rooker turned 23 this offseason, his numbers don't really matter until he gets to at least Triple-A, unless of course he is bad at Double-A. He has plus power, has the potential to get on base a lot, but his profile is awfully reminiscent of A.J. Reed’s. |
41 | Age on 4/1/18: 23 | |
42 | Likely assignment: Double-A Chattanooga | |
43 | Overall rank: 148 | |
44 | ||
45 | 8. Brusdar Graterol | |
46 | Position: RHP | Graterol is the type of pitching prospect who could jump 100 spots on the top 400 between now and the end of the season. His upside trails only Royce Lewis and Wander Javier in this system. He has an upper-90s fastball and three secondaries that all project to at least average. That's a frontline starter kit. |
47 | Age on 4/1/18: 19 | |
48 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
49 | Overall rank: 186 | |
50 | ||
51 | 9. Jose Miranda | |
52 | Position: 2B/3B | Miranda is a personal favorite of mine. He showed off impressive raw power while striking out less than 10 percent of the time in the Appy League. It's unclear if he'll end up at second base or outgrow it and end up at the hot corner, but the bat should profile anywhere. |
53 | Age on 4/1/18: 19 | |
54 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
55 | Overall rank: 202 | |
56 | ||
57 | 10. Stephen Gonsalves | |
58 | Position: LHP | It was only five starts, but Gonsalves appears to have gotten exposed at Triple-A. His stuff is mediocre -- his changeup is nice but his fastball is average and his curveball is fringe-average -- and while he has good command, that’s not a recipe many pitchers can pull off against upper-level hitters. |
59 | Age on 4/1/18: 23 | |
60 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Rochester | |
61 | Overall rank: 204 | |
62 | ||
63 | 11. Fernando Romero | |
64 | Position: RHP | Based on pure stuff, Romero could be higher on this list, but, as is often the case, he's looking more and more like a future reliever, the closer he gets to the majors. Durability has been an issue for the 6-foot hurler, as has command. He should reach the big leagues this year in some capacity. |
65 | Age on 4/1/18: 23 | |
66 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Rochester | |
67 | Overall rank: 224 | |
68 | ||
69 | 12. Blayne Enlow | |
70 | Position: RHP | A classic projection prep righty, Enlow comes with a prototypical 6-foot-3 frame and plus curveball. He could add some velocity to his low-90s heater as he fills out, and his athleticism and command are big marks in his favor. The development of his changeup will likely determine whether he is a mid-rotation arm or weapon out of the bullpen. |
71 | Age on 4/1/18: 19 | |
72 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
73 | Overall rank: 237 | |
74 | ||
75 | ||
76 | 13. LaMonte Wade | |
77 | Position: OF | Wade is a very challenging prospect to rank for fantasy purposes, as he can clearly hit, he just doesn't do much else. Perhaps he could hit .290, get on base at a .390 clip and hit 10 home runs with 10 steals. If he's defending in a corner, that might not be enough to get him everyday at-bats. |
78 | Age on 4/1/18: 24 | |
79 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Rochester | |
80 | Overall rank: 241 | |
81 | ||
82 | 14. Zack Granite | |
83 | Position: OF | Granite could be a 70-grade outfield defender who steals 30-plus bases annually. The problem is, he is unlikely to hit enough to play enough for his speed to matter. If one of the Twins' outfielders gets hurt and Granite appears poised to get at-bats, then his speed makes him a worthwhile waiver add. |
84 | Age on 4/1/18: 25 | |
85 | Likely assignment: Triple-A Rochester | |
86 | Overall rank: 296 | |
87 | ||
88 | 15. Mitch Garver | |
89 | Position: C | It’s unlikely that the 27-year-old bat-first catcher will deliver, but any backstop who hits at Triple-A is worth tracking in today’s landscape. He should win the backup catcher gig this spring, and even though he is unlikely to unseat Jason Castro, if he hits, he could get starts at DH. |
90 | Age on 4/1/18: 27 | |
91 | Likely assignment: MLB | |
92 | Overall rank: 332 | |
93 | ||
94 | 16. Lewin Diaz | |
95 | Position: 1B | The Twins left Diaz exposed for the Rule 5 draft and he went undrafted, which says more about the way MLB teams view 1B-only hitters who are 2-to-3 years away from the majors than it does about Diaz's potential. He has huge raw power and is good at making contact, kind of a poor man's Josh Naylor. |
96 | Age on 4/1/18: 21 | |
97 | Likely assignment: High-A Fort Myers | |
98 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
99 | ||
100 | 17. Lewis Thorpe | |
101 | Position: LHP | After two years off, Thorpe made a triumphant return last season, and was sitting at 92-94 mph with his fastball. He has No. 3 or No. 4 starter upside, and could be pushed aggressively in 2018 now that he is on the 40-man roster. |
102 | Age on 4/1/18: 22 | |
103 | Likely assignment: Double-A Chattanooga | |
104 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
105 | ||
106 | 18. Luis Arraez | |
107 | Position: 2B | Arraez might have the best hit tool in this system, which is saying a lot. That will be what carries him, as he lacks impact power or speed. He missed most of 2017 with a torn ACL, but has some similarities to Luis Urias, so it's not unreasonable to roster him in deeper dynasty leagues. |
108 | Age on 4/1/18: 20 | |
109 | Likely assignment: High-A Fort Myers | |
110 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
111 | ||
112 | 19. Landon Leach | |
113 | Position: RHP | Leach received a $1.4 million bonus in the second round of last year's draft, which only ranked fourth among Twins draftees, as they had the largest bonus pool in the league. He is a converted catcher from Canada, and the hope is that his stuff continues to improve as he gains experience. There's No. 3 starter upside. |
114 | Age on 4/1/18: 18 | |
115 | Likely assignment: Appalachian League | |
116 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
117 | ||
118 | 20. Aaron Whitefield | |
119 | Position: OF | Even though he has an imposing 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, Whitefield is a quality defender in center field, and could be a plus defender if he has to move to a corner. There is 20/20 upside as he continues to mature, so if he hits this year at High-A, his stock should continue to climb. |
120 | Age on 4/1/18: 21 | |
121 | Likely assignment: High-A Fot Myers | |
122 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
123 | ||
124 | 21. Andrew Bechtold | |
125 | Position: 3B | The Twins gave the JuCo third baseman a $600,000 bonus in the fifth round last year, and he hit .299/.406/.424 in the Appy League. We should get a better idea what his offensive upside is once he gets his first crack at full-season pitching this year. |
126 | Age on 4/1/18: 21 | |
127 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
128 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
129 | ||
130 | 22. Travis Blankenhorn | |
131 | Position: 2B/3B | As a bat-first infielder, Blankenhorn has been a name to know in dynasty leagues for a couple years. However, last year he took a bit of a step back at Low-A. Considering he projects to be a fringe-average defender, the bat needs to carry him, so it will be important for him to bounce back this year. |
132 | Age on 4/1/18: 21 | |
133 | Likely assignment: High-A Fort Myers | |
134 | Overall rank: Not ranked | |
135 | ||
136 | 23. Jean Carlos Arias | |
137 | Position: OF | A 2014 July 2 signing, Arias bounced back after a down 2016, posting a 138 wRC+ with 10 steals on 13 attempts in the GCL. There is some power/speed upside, but he will need to hit as a 20-year-old at Low-A in order to remain on this list next year. |
138 | Age on 4/1/18: 20 | |
139 | Likely assignment: Low-A Cedar Rapids | |
140 | Overall rank: Not ranked |