Top 10 prospects

1. Amed Rosario, SS New York Mets
2017 stats: 93 G, .329/.367/.465, 65 R, 18 2B, 7 3B, 7 HR, 57 RBI, 22 BB, 66 K, 17 SB at Triple-A Las Vegas.

If you don’t think Rosario should be the top overall fantasy prospect for the rest of 2017, I actually agree with you. He should have been called up a long time ago. The Mets aren’t even close to playoff contention, and Asdrubal Cabrera was held out of the lineup on Sunday with an injury. It’s time, Mets. It’s been time.

2. Dominic Smith, 1B, New York Mets
2017 stats: 104 G, .341/.394/.530, 73 R, 32 2B, 1 3B, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 34 BB, 74 SO at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Step one -- and it was the biggest step, really -- is complete. Lucas Duda has been shipped to the Rays, opening up a clear spot for Smith to play every day at first base. Now the question is, do the Mets recognize this, or will they go with Jay Bruce and a utility player to fill the cold corner? My guess is the latter, but with how they’ve treated Rosario, it’s not a lock. Either way, you should be ready to pick him up in every fantasy format.


 



3. Ryan McMahon, IF, Colorado Rockies
2017 stats: 98 G, .362/.405/.600, 64 R, 36 2B, 3 3B, 17 HR, 77 RBI, 32 BB, 74 K, 11 SB at Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque.

Welcome to the list, Mr. McMahon. It should be fairly obvious why McMahon is in the top 10 now, but if you’re still wondering why, look at those numbers again. Yes, they were in friendly confines, but McMahon can flat-out swing the bat. There’s plus power in his left-handed bat, and his smooth swing makes hard contact all over the field. The question is where he’ll play if or when he gets the call; Third base might be his most natural position, but that position is definitely full. Whether at second base or even first, McMahon can put up numbers that make him fantasy-relevant.

 









4. Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves
2017 stats: 90 G, .286/.332/.443, 66 R, 21 2B, 8 3B, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 28 BB, 89 K, 21 SB at Triple-A Gwinnett.

If this was just a list of top prospects, Albies would be higher than this. Two spots higher than this, in fact. I keep him out of the top three, however, because it’s no longer a foregone conclusion that he’ll make his debut in 2017. The Braves aren’t going to be playing in October, but Brandon Phillips is still playing at a decent level, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to call up Albies if he isn’t playing every day. There’s a lot to like here because of the speed and hitting talent, but you may not get to see it at the highest level until 2018.

5. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
2017 stats: 20 G, 3.82 ERA, 56 R 108.1 IP, 103 H, 10 HR, 31 BB, 141 K at Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.

Coming off a dominating performance, Honeywell wasn’t quite as good against Lehigh Valley, but still showed flashes of brilliance. He gave up one run in six innings of work, and he walked just two and struck out six. Tampa Bay recently called up Austin Pruitt to make a start against New York. Brent Honeywell is a lot better than Austin Pruitt. We should see Honeywell in the rotation before the end of August, if not sooner.

6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
2017 stats: 106 G, .281/.384/.559, 73 R, 22 2B, 4 3B, 24 HR, 78 RBI, 59 BB, 69 K, 3 SB at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

After a less than successful previous couple of weeks, Hoskins is doing what he does best again: getting on base and hitting for power. His OBP has risen nearly 13 points in the last 10 days, and he hit two dingers this week. Maybe most impressive of all is that walk to strikeout ratio; you just don’t see that very often in power hitters. If he can keep that up in the big-leagues? Look out.

7. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP, Chicago White Sox
2017 stats: 20 G, 3.65 ERA, 111 IP, 94 H, 13 HR, 42 BB, 117 K at Triple-A Charlotte.

Lopez has been missing bats at an elite level lately, and that continued in his start on Wednesday against Colorado Springs. He went only five innings, but he was able to strikeout 10 in those innings while giving up just two runs. Since his slow start he’s been as good as any pitcher in the White Sox system outside of Michael Kopech. The White Sox stink, and they should give Lopez a shot sooner than later.

8. Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves
2017 stats: 103 G, .310/.365/.517, 63 R, 22 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 59 RBI, 34 BB, 112 K, 34 SB at High-A Florida, Double-A Mississippi, and Triple-A Gwinnett.

 

Let’s be honest: This would all be very impressive if Acuna was 24 and had a great deal of experience. The fact that he’s still a teenager is just delicious icing on a delicious cake. Acuna has one of the best power/speed combinations of any outfielder in Triple-A right now, and even if his call-up is less than a 50/50 proposition right now, there’s no way he isn’t one of the 10 best fantasy prospects for this year. He’s just too good.

 9. Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
2017 stats: 92 G, .326/.398/.445, 60 R, 22 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 42 BB, 37 K, 8 SB at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Two newcomers this week, and there’s another one coming. Sorry for the spoiler. Verdugo has been one of the best performers in the PCL this year, showing plus hitting talent and excellent hand-eye coordination that limits the strikeouts. He hasn’t shown it this year, but there is power in his bat, and he’s certainly strong enough to put the ball into the gaps and use his average speed. The real question right now is where Verdugo will play when he gets the call, but even in a part-time role, Verdugo can really help because of his hitting talent.

10. Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Chicago Cubs
2017 stats: 81 G, .266/.361/.507, 39 R, 27 2B, 3 3B, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 41 BB, 72 K, 0 SB at Triple-A Iowa.

You’ll notice it says Cubs here, but there’s a strong chance that when you read this Candelario will be a member of the Tigers organization, and that’s why he makes the top 10. He was obviously blocked as a member of the Cubs -- that Kris Bryant just might make it -- and while Nick Castellanos isn’t atrocious, he shouldn’t be a huge block for Candelario. He has a quality approach at the plate, and he’s begun to tap into his solid-average power. He’s not a future star, but he should be a solid regular who is ready to face big-league pitching.

Also considered: Willy Adames, SS, Tampa Bay Rays; Austin Meadows, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates; Chance Adams, RHP, New York Yankees; Franklin Barreto, SS, Oakland Athletics; Willie Calhoun, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers