Eloy's a coming

Eloy Jimenez

A reminder that this is strictly a list for 2018. Several of these prospects are among the best in baseball, but for the purpose of this series, it’s just measuring potential impact for the coming season.

Without further ado, here’s the top 10 fantasy prospects for the remainder of the 2018 season.

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

2018 stats: 65 G, .401/.448/.668, 14 HR, 3 SB, 22 BB, 28 SO at short-season Gulf Coast, High-A Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire. Now residing in Buffalo,

Triple AAA

Vlad's numbers went down this week in average and on-base percentage, but that's really only because at this point, it's pretty hard for them to go up.  He's hitting .359 over his last 10 games, and he has homers in back-to-back games before going on the temporary inactive list to watch his father get inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's probably not as cool as seeing your dad get into Cooperstown, but Vlad also received more good news: He's getting promoted to Triple-A, starting this week. Assuming he hits at this level like he has in the others, it should be a short stay, but should is different than would. Nevertheless, it's a great step towards getting Vlad Jr. in a Blue Jay uniform.

2. Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox

2018 stats: 78 G, .338/.385/.599 17 HR, 0 SB, 24 BB, 49 SO at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.

This is starting to become a waste. Jimenez is as hot as it gets and he now has his season average in the International League up to .383. He's 19-for-38 over his last 10 games, and he's hit four homers in that time frame. The White Sox brass recently said that they're not going to call up Jimenez until he checks all those boxes. Outside of something involving cash, tanking, or concerns over his defense (the last one probably has a little to do with it, but Jimenez is a perfectly competent defender), I have no idea what else he can possibly do. He should have been up weeks ago. I'm confident he'll be up before the end of August.

3. Francisco Mejia, C, San Diego Padres

2018 stats: 84 G, .281/.331/.425, 7 HR, 0 SB, 20 BB, 62 SO at Triple-A Columbus., Now residing in El Paso, Texas, San Diego's Triple AAA, home.

Mejia has performed admirably since his trade to the Padres, hitting .333 over five games with a double and a couple of walks. His season line isn't overwhelmingly impressive, but when you consider how poorly he started out, those numbers become much more impressive for the 22-year-old backstop. It's just a question of when Mejia gets called up, but considering he's already on the 40-man roster -- and considering the cost the Padres gave up to get him -- it should be soon.

4. Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox

2018 stats: 20 G, 99 1/3 IP, 4.26 ERA, 7 HR, 58 BB, 135 SO at Triple-A Charlotte.

Last week, I joked that Kopech was a "strike throwing machine." Truth be told, he kinda has been over his last three starts. After walking just one each in his previous start, Kopech walked none in his last appearance, and he struck out for while allowing only two runs. Kopech is clearly repeating his delivery well right now, and when you combine that with two plus-plus pitches -- along with a solid third -- you get one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He's good.

5. Kolby Allard, LHP, Atlanta Braves

2018 stats: 18 G, 109.1 IP, 2.80 ERA, 6 HR, 33 BB, 102 87 at Triple-A Gwinnett.

Allard is reportedly going to make his big league debut on Tuesday against the Marlins, and there's a good chance the 20-year-old will pitch well against the not-so-good Miami club. Allard doesn't have elite stuff, but he locates his arsenal for strikes, and he has two plus secondary pitches in his curveball and change. We will occasionally see pitchers that rely on command struggle early because of nerves/fear of getting beaten, but assuming Allard is ready for the moment, he can help. It also could be a one start thing, but he's worth an add if you're looking for a quality start.

6. Peter Alonso, 1B, New York Mets

2018 stats: 101 G, .272/.395/.528, 24 HR, 0 SB, 62 BB, 95 SO at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas.

The bad news: Alonso hasn't homered in six games, which seems like an eternity for someone who has as much power from the right side as he does. The good news: Alonso is starting to see the hits drop, as he's hitting .308 over his last 10 games, and he's drawn five walks while "only" striking out nine times in that time frame. Alonso is still just hitting .206 since his promotion to Triple-A, but that's about .30 points higher than it was two weeks ago. Even at first base, he has the potential to offer big offensive potential for fantasy clubs.

7. Justus Sheffield, LHP, New York Yankees

2018 stats: 18 G, 96.1 IP, 2.34 ERA, 3 HR, 40 BB, 102 SO at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

There's good news and bad news with Sheffield as well, but like with Alonso, the good outweighs the bad. He's now gone five straight starts without allowing more than a run, including a 5 2/3 inning effort against the Triple-A Gwinnett lineup on Saturday. The bad news? Sheffield isn't missing very many bats in the process. He's struck out no more than eight in his last 10 starts, and in his last two he has seven. Combined. The 22-year-old southpaw is clearly capable of missing bats, so we'll just blame this on lineups being aggressive against Sheffield. He should get a chance to pitch with the Yankees before the end of 2018.

8. Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals

2018 stats: 19 G, .288/.425/.373, 1 HR, 9 SB, 11 BB, 8 SO at short-season Gulf Coast, short-season Auburn and Triple-A Syracuse.

Welcome back, Mr. Robles. It's good to see a familiar face. Robles missed two-plus months after hyperextending his left elbow, but he's back in the International League, and he's doing what he's done since he signed with Washington in 2013: Hit. The 21-year-old has a plus hit tool, top-of-the-scales speed, and he also has sneaky power from the right side that he's beginning to tap into. He's also a terrific defender, which is something Washington is going to keep in mind. The Washington outfield is obviously full right now, but if there's a trade, an injury, or something unforeseen, he's ready to go, and he's a must-add in fantasy. If you have room on your bench, he's a potentially excellent speculative add.

9. Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

2018 stats: 67 G, .349/.396/.506, 8 HR, 4 SB, 21 BB, 38 SO at Triple-A Oklahoma City; 14 G, .280/.345/.440, 1 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 7 SO at Los Angeles.

Verdugo heads back down to Oklahoma City with Yasiel Puig off the disabled list, which is a bit of a bummer since he was performing well with the Dodgers.  There's only so much room in the inn, however, which is why I haven't had Verdugo high on these lists despite the fact that he's as talented as all but the top three. The good news is Los Angeles knows Verdugo is ready to go, and the Dodgers are not exactly a beacon of health. If there's an injury -- particularly to an outfielder -- Verdugo should get a call up, and his advanced hit tool gives him a strong chance to matter in fantasy.

10. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

2018 stats: 19 G, 107.2 IP, 3.68 ERA, 9 HR, 44 BB, 102 SO at Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.

I considered giving this spot to Brendan Rodgers even before he was promoted to Triple-A, and even more after it was announced. Ultimately, though, I think that Rodgers has a tougher path to the majors than Keller does. Keller hasn't been great since his promotion, but he's pitched much better as of late, showing the hard, sinking fastball and a strong curveball with a competent change here and there for good measure. Keller's talent competes with the best starting pitching prospects in baseball, and I think Pittsburgh will give him a chance to pitch for them before the season ends. Rodgers has the higher upside, but Keller has the higher floor while offering upside as well.

Just missed: Brendan Rodgers, SS, Colorado Rockies; Luiz Gohara, LHP, Atlanta Braves; Ryan Mountcastle, 3B, Baltimore Orioles; Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers; Luis Urias, SS, San Diego Padres