Ladies (4-5 of you) & gentlemen, we are officially in the offseason!!! Please contain your excitement, and use the bags in the front seat pocket should you feel the need to blow chunks. PROSPECTING SEASON HAS RETURNED! Over the coming weeks, and months, you’ll be inundated with content to help you prepare for your dynasty prospect drafts, first year player drafts, and keeper/dynasty decisions. We’ll start with an update of my Top 100 Prospects, followed by a the 2018 first year player draft ranking, followed by keeper ranks for pitchers and hitters, followed by a very special mock prospects drafts with some of the top prospectors in the industry, and of course my team previews, and corresponding podcasts for all 30 MLB franchises. For all those wondering “followed by” is my “and then“. Long story short, there’s lots to come. Fear not kind citizen, for this post, the 2018 Minor League Preview Index is your one stop hub for all of our off-season dynasty content. So, bookmark this page, set a google alert, or just keep this page open until April. One way or the other you’re going to get all of my offseason brain droppings.
| 2018 Razzball Minor League Index | |||||
| D-Backs | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Brewers | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Braves | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Twins | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Orioles | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Mets | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Red Sox | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Yankees | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Cubs | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Athletics | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| White Sox | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Phillies | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Reds | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Pirates | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Indians | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Padres | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Rockies | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Giants | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Tigers | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Mariners | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Astros | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Cardinals | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Royals | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Rays | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Angels | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Rangers | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Dodgers | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Blue Jays | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| Marlins | 2017 | 2018 | Pod | Nationals | 2017 | 2018 | Pod |
| 2017 Mid-Season Top 100 & 200 | 2018 First year Player Draft Rankings Top 25 & 50 | ||||
| 2017 End of Season Top 50 & 100 | 2018 Top 250 (March 18th) | ||||
| 2018 Positional Ranks: Sleepers, C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, OF, SP | 2018 Keeper Rankings | Pitchers | Hitters | ||||
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Keep forever, 12 team league, with 30 man major league roster and 15 man minor league roster. I’m allowed to make pick-ups on both rosters through the last regular season games. Can manipulate my minor rosters by moving a few guys up to majors or cut guys to maybe pick up 3 or 4 of the guys below.
Minor league free agents available:
Colton Welker
Brandon Marsh
Andres Gimenez
Jorge Ona
Cole Tucker
Fernado Romero
Nolan Jones
Max Schrock
Other potential:
Heath Quinn, Edwin Rios, Randy Arozarena, Nick Solak, Stuart Fairchild
Which of these available guys have to absolutely be added? And what guys should be added over my current guys?
Potential cut candidates:
Raul Mondesi
Jorge Alfaro (have Lucroy/Contreras/Zach Collins)
Yohander Mendez
Delvin Perez
Jake Bauers
—-
Neil Walker (almost a for sure cut)
Dillon Peters
German Márquez
Shane Greene
Blake Parker
Anthony Swarzak
Hunter Pence
Jason Kipnis
Hanley Ramirez
Going to be adding a few major league level guys like Daniel Mengden as well… so will need some room for them. Having the hardest time figuring out in the level of Ona, Tucker, Romero group over Perez, Peters, Pence kind of decisions.
Dynasty Keeper League. We have a rule 5 draft and my final rule 5 spot is down to Dom Smith or Jack Flaherty. Which one do I offer up? I am leaning more so towards Smith due to the abundance of always available 1b but am struggling with decision. I always value a good arm over a bat, but that is just me.
Thoughts Ralph?
@Chris D: I’d move Flaherty, but if you’re inclined to go arm then trust your gut.
I’m in a 14-Team Keep-6 forever league with wonky stats:
Bats – R, RBI, HR, OBP, SLG, NSB
Arms – QS, SV, HLD, K/9, ERA, WHIP
I plan on keeping these guys:
Harper
Stanton
Bryant
But am having a hard time on deciding the last 3. My other choices are:
Olson
Hoskins
Albies
Benintendi
Devers
Crawford
Robles
Calhoun
Godley
McCullers
Who would you roll with?
@ashtray: Hoskins, Benintendi, Albies.
You might want to hold off on these until after December 1. You never know who’s reading…
@Jeff: Hahaha! I considered it, but I’m never beating anyone in that league anyway! Worst team I manage.
Consider it Crabmarked Ralph.
An amazing time of the year to be sure. FYPD prep time baby (Kenny, needs to make a shirt out of that acronym)!
Looking forward to another marathon of Halph podcast heaven.
@Rosscoe: Prospect Heaven!
1. Bookmarked.
2. Linked to my mighty dynasty spreadsheet.
3. Have started planning, scheming, figuring-out 2018.
As easy as 1, 2, 3.
Thanks, Ralph!
@Racehorse: I feel like I was thinking 2018 once the trade deadline hit. Dynasty is crazy!
wow, forgot this started this early. good stuff i’m sure it needs to to complete all 30 teams. with damn football and now hockey i’m well behind (about podcast 61 or so), have been writing down the available names mentioned though for my super deep league.
@goodfold2: Cool! Lots more to get you back logged coming! You got some love in Grey’s post today.
Damn you Rick Porcello!
The best source for baseball prospecting on the interwebz. I can’t wait to see the Red Sox’ minor league preview. The article will just be Dombrowski’s name written in blood and half washed away by your tears. It will be glorious.
Separately, I’m already sporting a halfie for the Braves preview and I’m not even an Atlanta fan.
@Tweak: Braves might need two previews, same with the Padres.
We’ll see the Sox have more low minors guys than one might think. The Cubs will be awful, followed by the marlins.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Holy crap, I hadn’t taken a look at a Cubs top 10 list for a while, just looked at the Fangraphs update….it’s not very often I don’t recognize a single player in a club’s top 10. Even the Angels and Marlins always had a guy or two at the top of the list you’d heard something about.
Over/Under 2019 offseason we see Epstein sneaking out of Wrigley in a guerrilla suit?
@OddBall Herrera: Hahaha I don’t think so. He has carte blanch in Chicago.
@Ralph Lifshitz: Aramis Ademan is legit, same with Alzolay, and Little.
Albertos and De La Cruz are okay, but have some ???
Looking forward to the content Ralph.
Best wishes,
Dan
@Another Dan: Thanks Dan! How’s the club fairing?
@Ralph Lifshitz:
Things still going well. FA Cup game on Saturday, home against a team a level above us in the pyramid. We have a chance, that’s all we can hope for at this stage. Most of the teams are above us in the football pyramid.
League form has been good. Although we’ve played a lot of teams currently sitting in the bottom half of the table, we’ve won the last 3 games 4-1. Currently sit 2nd in the league, but it’s still early. Attendances are good for our level.
Won my H2h dynasty. In a final in another and sit 2nd in a roto but I think that may have passed me by (not helped by missing Carrasco’s start tonight). Might consider playing for cash and I am also considering trying my hand at an RCL.
Hope things are good with you,
Best wishes,
Dan
@Another Dan: You’re in my Rio Ruiz RCL next year.
Good to hear on the other stuff with the club and H2H league. I want weekly updates!
@Ralph Lifshitz:
You got ’em !!!
RCL invite sounds good, thanks.
Spent last Sunday on a day trip to London to watch the NFL game. My mate is a Ravens fan. He was not impressed. Was a good day though.
Best wishes,
Dan
You flew out from Baltimore to London for one day?!
@Grey:
No Grey. I am English. A mere 4 hour train journey for us. Think my mate chose the Ravens after watching The Wire.
Were plenty of Ravens fans around. Spoke to a couple who turned the NFL game into a 10 day tour of Europe.
Ah… Gotcha! That’s hilarious The Wire is getting people to like Baltimore, when it’s not exactly a postcard to the city
@Grey:
My mate likes being a little ‘left-field’. Plus, it’s better than following the crowd and supporting the Pats or Packers.
Who is your team?
I don’t have a football team, used to like the Dolphins with Marino
@Another Dan: Damn it Dan! Pats all day baby!
@Grey: ***Slaps forehead***
@Ralph Lifshitz:
I knew you were a Pat. Seen them twice at Wembley and the number of Brady shirts spotted on those days were huge. The Pats are probably the most popular team in the U.K. May have something to do with having England in the name ….,
I started watching NFL in the 80’s. Coverage was patchy, the 49ers were on all the time. Guess my team.
But the International series games in London attract fans of all teams. It’s not just the two teams who are playing that are represented.
@Another Dan: That’s hilarious considering the mascot is a patriot that fought against England! Ironic.
Please Ralph, get me through this offseason, you’re my only hope.
(\/) !_! (\/)
CRABMARKED
@SheriffMcRawDawg: Imma Crabmark Ashley Kelly
BOOKMARKED!!
@Rudy: Bookmark me!