The NL East features the best minor league system in the game in the Atlanta Braves. And it also has one of the worst with the New York Mets. The remainder of the teams in the division fall somewhere in between — although the Nationals could surprise some people with the depth that’s beginning to develop.

Things drop off really quickly for me after the first two prospects on this list.

2018 Arrivals:
7. Chris Flexen | SP | 2018 Level: AAA
10. Corey Oswalt | SP | 2018 Level: AAA

2019 Arrivals:
1. David Peterson | SP | 2018 Level: A+
2. Peter Alonso | 1B | 2018 Level: AA
5. Justin Dunn | SP | 2018 Level: AA
6. Marcos Molina | SP | 2018 Level: AA

2020 and Beyond:
3. Andres Gimenez | SS | 2018 Level: A+
4. Mark Vientos | 3B | 2018 Level: A
8. Ronny Mauricio | SS | 2018 Level: R
9. Thomas Szapucki | SP | 2018 Level: Injured

Other Names to Know:
Sleeper: Gerson Bautista, RP
Beyond the Top 10 Help in 2018: Tomas Nido, C

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We continue our six-part look at the Top 10 prospects (by division) with the National League Central.

Previous Reviews:
AL West Top 10s
NL West Top 10s
AL Central Top 10s

The Pirates feature an organization that has nice balance, although the majority of its top prospects are nearing the MLB.

2018 Arrivals:
1. Mitch Keller | SP | 2018 Level: AA
2. Colin Moran | 3B | 2018 Level: AAA
4. Austin Meadows | CF | 2018 Level: AAA
8. Kevin Newman | IF | 2018 Level: AAA

2019 Arrivals:
3. Ke’Bryan Hayes | 3B | 2018 Level: AA
5. Cole Tucker | SS | 2018 Level: AA
10. Taylor Hearn | SP | 2018 Level: AA

2020 and Beyond:
6. Shane Baz | SP | 2018 Level: A-
7. Luis Escobar | SP | 2018 Level: A+
9. Lolo Sanchez | OF | 2018 Level: A-

Other Names to Know:
Sleeper: Calvin Mitchell, OF
Beyond the Top 10 Help in 2018: Nick Kingham, SP

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The American League Central doesn’t feature the strongest minor league systems but there are some interesting prospects littered throughout the teams.

Previous Reviews:
AL West Top 10s
NL West Top 10s

The Indians always find a way to develop players in house — and the current system has some interesting players — but it lacks depth overall.

2018 Arrivals:
1. Triston McKenzie | SP | 2018 Level: AA
2. Francisco Mejia | C/3B | 2018 Level: AAA
5. Bobby Bradley | 1B | 2018 Level: AAA
9. Eric Haase | C | 2018 Level: AAA

2019 Arrivals:
6. Shane Bieber | SP | 2018 Level: AA
7. Willi Castro | MIF | 2018 Level: AA

2020 and Beyond:
3. Nolan Jones | 3B | 2018 Level: A
4. Will Benson | CF | 2018 Level: A
8. Tyler Freeman | MIF | 2018 Level: A-
10. Johnathan Rodriguez | RF | 2018 Level: A-

Other Names to Know:
Sleeper: Sam Hentges, SP
Beyond the Top 10 Help in 2018: Greg Allen, OF

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We kicked off this six-part series last week with the American League West Top 10 Prospect Lists. Today, we take a look at the National League West, which includes a couple of really intriguing systems with the Colorado Rockies and, especially, the San Diego Padres (and the Dodgers aren’t bad either).

Previous Editions:
American League West Top 10s

The Giants seem to develop prospects with a philosophy of quality over quantity. The organization never has the deepest system but it always manages to develop big leaguers — many of who have significant impacts in The Show. Years of strong performances at the big league level (2017 being an exception) also kept the club from having high draft picks.

2018 Arrivals:
3. Austin Slater | OF | 2018 Level: AAA
4. Aramis Garcia | C | 2018 Level: AA
5. Chris Shaw | 1B/LF | 2018 Level: AAA
7. Andrew Suarez | SP | 2018 Level: AAA
8. Tyler Beede | SP | 2018 Level: AAA
2. Shaun Anderson | SP | 2018 Level: AA
10. Steven Duggar | OF | 2018 Level: AAA

2019 Arrivals:
6. Garrett Williams | SP | 2018 Level: A+

2020 and Beyond:
1. Heliot Ramos | OF | 2018 Level: A-
9. Jacob Gonzalez | 3B | 2018 Level: A

Other Names to Know:
Sleeper: Gregory Santos, SP
Beyond the Top 10 Help in 2018: Reyes Moronta, RP

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The American League West kicks off my look at the Top 10 prospect lists around Major League Baseball. The lists include the level where players are likely to open the 2018 season, as well as an ETA for when they might make an impact in fantasy baseball.

The Angels system is much improved when compared to two or three years ago. The system has a collection of intriguing, toolsy outfielders. However, the system is still very bottom heavy with most of the impact players in the low minors. And it continues to lack arms.

*Shohei Ohtani was not considered a rookie due to his time spent as a pro in Japan.

2018 Arrivals:
7. Michael Hermosillo | OF | 2018 Level: AAA

2019 Arrivals:
1. Jahmai Jones | CF | 2018 Level: A+
5. Jesus Castillo | SP | 2018 Level: AA

2020 and Beyond:
2. Jo Adell | CF | 2018 Level: A
3. Brandon Marsh | CF | 2018 Level: A
4. Kevin Maitan | SS | 2018 Level: A
6. Chris Rodriguez | SP | 2018 Level: A
8. Leonardo Rivas | MIF | 2018 Level: A
9. Stiward Aquino | SP | 2018 Level: Rookie
10. Jose Soriano | SP | 2018 Level: A

Other Names to Know:
Sleeper: Griffin Canning, RHP
Beyond the Top 10 Help in 2018: Eduardo Paredes, RHP

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Followers of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger may now have unrealistic expectations for freshman performances. It’s not supposed to be quite so easy to acclimatize to the big leagues. And we can see proof of this from the same 2017 campaign — which saw a number of prospects struggle with the move to The Show. Today, we’re going to look at a few rookies from 2017 that should be better than they showed last year as we move into 2018 and beyond.

Jose Osuna, 1B/OF, Pirates: Osuna spent the majority of 2017 in the majors and appeared in 110 games but he managed just 227 at-bats. The rookie was put in the difficult position of pinch hitting in roughly half of his appearances and he hit just .120/.154/.200 in that role. If you look at the numbers he produced when playing the field, he displayed well above average power and a solid ability to hit for average. He just needs to be more patient. And, if he’s going to take advantage of the new juiced ball era, Osuna is going to have to make swing adjustments to hit more balls in the air. The Pirates seem intent on finding a way to keep the sophomore on the roster in 2018 as he’s seen time at third base this spring to go along with his ability to play first base and both corner outfield positions. However, it will be difficult for him to find regular playing time with the current roster, including the presence of veteran David Freese who will be without a position if rookie Colin Moran wins the third base gig.

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Last week, we looked at the five rookie outfielders with the highest potential for impact in 2018 — given enough playing time. Today, we’ll dig a little deeper for some sleeper players that could also make significant waves during the coming season.

Willie Calhoun, IF/OF, Rangers: Calhoun, a former second baseman, is more likely to see time as a left fielder or designated hitter. His all-bat-no-hit profile lowers his real-life value but doesn’t hurt him in fantasy. In fact, if he plays enough games at second base, he has added value due to versatility.

He’s a smallish player but he hits the ball hard. He went deep 27 times at double-A in 2016 and followed that up with 31 long balls in triple-A last year. Calhoun, 23, also rarely strikes out so he puts a lot of balls in play. His willingness to use the whole field could help hit for average (along with the power) at the big league level. The Rangers got themselves a good one in last year’s trade with the Dodgers.

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As the infancy stage of the 2018 season begins, rookie outfielders from across the league are reporting to camp with an eye to having a major impact on the 2018 season. Some of those hopes will come true, while others will stumble and face a frustrating campaign. Over the next week, we’ll take a look at the Top 10 rookie outfielders that this author feels have the best chance at impacting both their teams and the game in 2018.

*Shohei Ohtani was not considered a rookie given his professional experience in Japan

Ronald Acuna, CF, Braves: The path to playing time is always an important piece when discussing potential rookie impact. With Acuna, that is not an issue with the current crop of outfielders that the Braves 40-man roster possesses. Looking at the Braves depth chart at FanGraphs, only Ender Inciarte projects to be more than a one-win player, and the left-field picture is a giant suck hole. Now, the club may choose to delay Acuna’s arbitration eligibility by sending him down to the minors for a few weeks to begin the year (especially since they’re not going to challenge for a playoff spot) but it’s pretty clear that he fits prominently into the picture for the coming year. It’s possible, though, that he could struggle early like 2017 rookie shortstop Dansby Swanson. Despite his massive ceiling (20+ homers, 30+ steals), Acuna also showed some contact issues in 2017 and his impressive batting line was aided by a BABIP of .400. He might very well have the most long-term success of any of the 2018 rookie outfielders but I foresee solid but unspectacular numbers for the coming season in Atlanta.

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Fantasy catchers typically have limited value to teams — although outliers like Buster Posey exist — so it doesn’t make much sense to spend much money (in auction leagues) or a significant draft slot on the position. As a result, rookie catchers can often provide a good option in fantasy — especially for the second slot in two-catcher leagues — because they can be had for little financial commitment/be snatched off the waiver wire and some possess untapped offensive potential.

Jorge Alfaro, C, Phillies: Alfaro could develop into one of the top catchers in baseball on both sides of the ball thanks to his plus power and rocket arm behind the plate. From a fantasy-only perspective, he has the potential to be a Top 10 option before his rookie season is over. However, he needs to be more selective at the plate if he’s going to realize his full potential. His strikeout rate of more than 30% at triple-A was down right scary and his walk rate throughout his minor league career has hovered around just 5%.

Again, catchers don’t have to be great hitters to be valuable to a big league team so Alfaro’s 20+ home run potential (and ability to hit the ball really hard) is enough to get excited about. The big obstacle for the rookie backstop in 2018 is the presence of decent big league catchers Cameron Rupp and Andrew Knapp. However, both of the more seasoned catchers have remaining minor league options while Alfaro does not.

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First Taste of The Show: Anthony Alford, OF: Perhaps the most athletic player in the system, Alford also has the type of maturity and professionalism that turns very good players into star. The downside to Alford, though, is that he’s been injury prone throughout his career and has a worrisome history of concussions stemming from his days as a star high school football player. Alford, 23, has a great eye at the plate so he should produce excellent on-base averages to help take advantage of his plus speed. He trimmed his previously-hefty strikeout rate in 2017 but it came at the expense of fewer hard-hit balls. He could sell out and hit 20+ homers but he’s probably better off focusing on getting on base and keeping the power more in the range of 10-12 homers per year.

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