2017 Top 50 Fantasy Prospects: First Look

Jon Gray.  Alex Bregman.  Michael Fulmer.  Edwin Diaz.  Yoan Moncada.  Willson Contreras.  Josh Bell.  Blake Snell.

The young players listed above are hot commodities right now in keeper leagues like Ottoneu. These players are the building blocks of hope for many eager fantasy owners looking to turn the corner from rebuilding to contention over the next season or two.  Each of these players were also well outside the top 50 prospects listed in Chris Mitchell’s KATOH Top 100 prospect ranking posted almost oneyear ago.

I really enjoy Chris’ method and his KATOH work is excellent, so the point here is only that prospecting is a fluid business.  Projecting quick MLB success from an early 20-something is a difficult task no matter how much information we have.  Scouting perceptions can change nearly as often as the weather, so it’s a good idea to take the temperature often.  Today I’ll give you a first look at 2017 prospect rankings in the context of fantasy using my Prospect Scorecard method I introduced last season.

A few quick notes before we begin:

  • Since “Cost” is league-dependent (salary, keeper round, etc.), I’ve ignored it here for simplicity by keeping it constant for every prospect listed.  Feel free to use the Scorecard to make changes that reflect true player costs for your league.
  • These rankings below are intended to represent the 50 most valuable prospects for fantasy leagues (depending on format).
  • It’s quite possible I’m missing an obvious player that should be ranked, so let me know in the comments.  We can discuss the specific rationale for player rankings in the comments, too.
  • For a lot more prospect resources, check out the Ottoneu community.

Here are the Top 50 prospects for the linear-weights-based FanGraphs Points scoring format (a good proxy for those in OBP leagues):

2017 Top 50 Fantasy Prospects – FGPTS
Rank Player Team Age POS Scouting Scoring Impact Hype Cost Score
1 Andrew Benintendi BOS 22 OF 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.0 21.0
2 Alex Reyes STL 22 SP 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.0 21.0
3 Yoan Moncada CHW 21 3B 5.0 4.0 4.5 5.0 1.0 19.5
4 Dansby Swanson ATL 23 SS 4.5 3.5 4.5 4.5 1.0 18.0
5 Tyler Glasnow PIT 23 SP 4.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 17.5
6 Lucas Giolito CHW 22 SP 4.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 17.5
7 Josh Bell PIT 24 1B 3.5 4.0 5.0 4.0 1.0 17.5
8 Austin Meadows PIT 21 OF 4.0 4.0 3.5 4.5 1.0 17.0
9 Brendan Rodgers COL 20 SS 4.5 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 17.0
10 Gleyber Torres NYY 20 SS 4.5 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 17.0
11 J.P. Crawford PHI 22 SS 4.5 3.5 4.0 4.0 1.0 17.0
12 Victor Robles WAS 19 OF 4.5 3.5 3.0 4.5 1.0 16.5
13 Willy Adames TB 21 SS 4.0 3.5 4.0 4.0 1.0 16.5
14 Cody Bellinger LAD 21 1B 4.0 3.5 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.0
15 Amed Rosario NYM 21 SS 4.0 3.5 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.0
16 Rafael Devers BOS 20 3B 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.5 1.0 16.0
17 Clint Frazier NYY 22 OF 4.0 3.5 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.0
18 Eloy Jimenez CHC 20 OF 4.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 16.0
19 Francis Martes HOU 21 SP 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.0 1.0 15.5
20 Franklin Barreto OAK 21 SS 3.5 3.5 3.5 4.0 1.0 15.5
21 Ian Happ CHC 22 2B 3.5 4.0 3.5 3.5 1.0 15.5
22 Yuliesky Gurriel HOU 32 3B 3.5 3.5 4.5 3.0 1.0 15.5
23 Brent Honeywell TB 22 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 1.0 15.5
24 Lewis Brinson MIL 22 OF 4.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 15.5
25 Manuel Margot SDP 22 OF 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 1.0 15.5
26 Jose De Leon LAD 24 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 1.0 15.5
27 Michael Kopech CHW 20 SP 4.0 3.5 3.0 4.0 1.0 15.5
28 Reynaldo Lopez CHW 23 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.0 1.0 15.0
29 Francelis Montas OAK 24 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.0 1.0 15.0
30 Yadier Alvarez LAD 21 SP 4.0 3.5 3.0 3.5 1.0 15.0
31 Bradley Zimmer CLE 24 OF 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.5
32 Nick Senzel CIN 21 3B 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 1.0 14.5
33 Hunter Renfroe SDP 25 OF 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.0
34 Alex Verdugo LAD 20 OF 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.5 1.0 14.0
35 Isan Diaz MIL 20 2B 3.5 3.5 2.5 3.5 1.0 14.0
36 Willie Calhoun LAD 22 2B 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.0
37 Christin Stewart DET 23 OF 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.0
38 Joe Jimenez DET 22 RP 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 14.0
39 Erick Fedde WAS 24 SP 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 14.0
40 Kyle Lewis SEA 21 OF 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 14.0
41 A.J. Reed HOU 23 1B 3.5 3.5 3.0 2.5 1.0 13.5
42 Cody Reed CIN 23 SP 3.5 3.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 13.5
43 Jake Bauers TB 21 OF 3.0 3.5 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
44 Anderson Espinoza SDP 19 SP 4.0 3.0 2.5 3.0 1.0 13.5
45 Aaron Judge NYY 24 OF 3.5 3.5 3.0 2.5 1.0 13.5
46 Tyler O’Neill SEA 21 OF 3.0 3.5 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
47 Luke Weaver STL 23 SP 3.0 3.0 4.0 2.5 1.0 13.5
48 Corey Ray MIL 22 OF 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
49 Sean Newcomb ATL 23 SP 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
50 Josh Hader MIL 22 SP 3.0 3.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 13.5
Ages shown are as of Opening Day 2017.

Here are the Top 50 prospects for Ottoneu Old School, a 5 x 5 scoring format:

2017 Top 50 Fantasy Prospects – Old School
Rank Player Team Age POS Scouting Scoring Impact Hype Cost Score
1 Andrew Benintendi BOS 22 OF 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.0 21.0
2 Alex Reyes STL 22 SP 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 1.0 21.0
3 Yoan Moncada CHW 21 3B 5.0 5.0 4.5 5.0 1.0 20.5
4 Dansby Swanson ATL 23 SS 4.5 4.0 4.5 4.5 1.0 18.5
5 Tyler Glasnow PIT 23 SP 4.5 4.5 4.0 4.0 1.0 18.0
6 Lucas Giolito CHW 22 SP 4.5 4.0 4.0 4.0 1.0 17.5
7 Victor Robles WAS 19 OF 4.5 4.5 3.0 4.5 1.0 17.5
8 Gleyber Torres NYY 20 SS 4.5 4.0 3.5 4.5 1.0 17.5
9 Josh Bell PIT 24 1B 3.5 3.5 5.0 4.0 1.0 17.0
10 Austin Meadows PIT 21 OF 4.0 4.0 3.5 4.5 1.0 17.0
11 Brendan Rodgers COL 20 SS 4.5 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 17.0
12 J.P. Crawford PHI 22 SS 4.5 3.5 4.0 4.0 1.0 17.0
13 Lewis Brinson MIL 22 OF 4.5 4.5 3.5 3.5 1.0 17.0
14 Willy Adames TB 21 SS 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.5 1.0 16.5
15 Cody Bellinger LAD 21 1B 4.0 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.5
16 Amed Rosario NYM 21 SS 4.0 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.5
17 Clint Frazier NYY 22 OF 4.0 3.5 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.0
18 Eloy Jimenez CHC 20 OF 4.0 4.0 3.0 4.0 1.0 16.0
19 Franklin Barreto OAK 21 SS 3.5 4.0 3.5 4.0 1.0 16.0
20 Manuel Margot SDP 22 OF 3.5 4.0 4.0 3.5 1.0 16.0
21 Rafael Devers BOS 20 3B 4.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 1.0 15.5
22 Francis Martes HOU 21 SP 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.0 1.0 15.5
23 Jose De Leon LAD 24 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.5 1.0 15.5
24 Michael Kopech CHW 20 SP 4.0 3.5 3.0 4.0 1.0 15.5
25 Yuliesky Gurriel HOU 32 3B 3.5 3.0 4.5 3.5 1.0 15.5
26 Ian Happ CHC 22 2B 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 1.0 15.0
27 Brent Honeywell TB 22 SP 3.5 3.0 4.0 3.5 1.0 15.0
28 Reynaldo Lopez CHW 23 SP 3.5 3.5 4.0 3.0 1.0 15.0
29 Yadier Alvarez LAD 21 SP 4.0 3.5 3.0 3.5 1.0 15.0
30 Francelis Montas OAK 24 SP 3.5 3.0 4.0 3.0 1.0 14.5
31 Bradley Zimmer CLE 24 OF 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.5
32 Christin Stewart DET 23 OF 3.0 4.0 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.5
33 Nick Senzel CIN 21 3B 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.5 1.0 14.0
34 Alex Verdugo LAD 20 OF 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.5 1.0 14.0
35 Isan Diaz MIL 20 2B 3.5 3.5 2.5 3.5 1.0 14.0
36 Kyle Lewis SEA 21 OF 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 14.0
37 Nick Williams PHI  23 OF 3.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 14.0
38 Hunter Renfroe SDP 25 OF 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 14.0
39 Erick Fedde WAS 24 SP 3.5 3.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 13.5
40 Ozzie Albies ATL 20 2B 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
41 Cody Reed CIN 23 SP 3.5 3.0 3.5 2.5 1.0 13.5
42 Anderson Espinoza SDP 19 SP 4.0 3.0 2.5 3.0 1.0 13.5
43 Corey Ray MIL 22 OF 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
44 A.J. Reed HOU 23 1B 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
45 Aaron Judge NYY 24 OF 3.5 3.5 3.0 2.5 1.0 13.5
46 Sean Newcomb ATL 23 SP 3.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.5
47 Orlando Arcia MIL 22 SS 3.5 2.5 3.5 3.0 1.0 13.5
48 Joe Jimenez DET 22 RP 3.5 2.5 3.5 2.5 1.0 13.0
49 Jacoby Jones DET 24 OF 3.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 1.0 13.0
50 Tyler O’Neill SEA 21 OF 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 1.0 13.0
Ages shown are as of Opening Day 2017.

For additional Ottoneu prospect resources:

Prospect Scorecard

Prospect Classes in Ottoneu

5MiLB Structure

The Secret to Rebuilding Your Fantasy Team





Trey is a 20+ year fantasy veteran and an early adopter of Ottoneu fantasy sports. He currently administers the Ottoneu community, a network of ~1,200 fantasy baseball and football fans talking sports daily. More resources here: http://community.ottoneu.com

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gja6722
7 years ago

Groome and Maitan are omitted because of lack of stats or lack of proximity?