This Sunday I wanted to sort of shoot from the hip about no particular subject, but sort of just share some things I’ve been thinking, and other I’ve observed. Baseball is back in full tilt and there’s lots of prospects vying for major league gigs, while others hope to leave an impression. Regardless, there’s a ton of players that they could fill a major league role at some point in the season. There’s plenty to talk about, so why not get into some of it. I love this time of year because you get to see prospects playing against major leaguers. Allows you to get a read on who’s the goods and who still has work to do. Not that spring training is the be all and end all, it’s obviously not, but it’s fun to take a look at who’s doing what, and what it might mean for their 2017 Fantasy Baseball values.
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Author: Geoff
Prospects, Pitchers, Win Ships, Make Babies. @ProspectJesus
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The team previews are over and done with, and it’s time to let loose. What better way to ring in our newly found content freedom then to put together a team of our favorite sleepers. Maybe not so much sleepers, as Prospects we see as underrated, or under appreciated by the masses. We go through a few dozen players, position by position, until we’ve given you a cornucopia of under the radar goodness. There’s big news on all fronts, as I join Reddit. Which may be the death of me, as I’m gobbled by the dark web. Who knows? Any the who, if you’re in a deep dynasty or just get down on learning some new prospects, then this is the episode for you. It’s the latest from the Razzball Prospect Podcast.
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Please, blog, may I have some more?Way back in the late fall, I released my Original edition of the first year player draft rankings. So, it’s been awhile since I first wrote those, and ranked these players out. I figured it was about time to update those now dated ranks. The question you may be asking yourself is “Ralph, why are you so handsome, and also what’s changed?” Well I’ll tell you, I “gots somes” experience now. Because, over the last month plus I’ve had several first year player drafts, meaning I “gots somes” actual real life draft knowledge to draw from. Not to mention my ever-evolving opinions and evaluations of players. So what better time to update the rankings, and give you an idea as to where my heads at after reviewing all of these youngins over the course of my team by team prospect rankings. I’ve fallen in love with some, soured on others, and been introduced to players I previously overlooked. If these rankings are too late for your league’s draft, my apologies, and I understand your angst. We’re deep into draft season, meaning our collective sweatpants smell of rot and butt cheeks, it’s okay to be ornery. I’ll make it easy, use small words, and discuss lots of wildly inaccurate and inappropriate expectations to put on a teenager. It’s all good though because it’s in the name of fantasy baseball.
Please, blog, may I have some more? 2017 Minor League Preview: Washington Nationals
March 5, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 44 Commentsby: Geoff
Under the guidance of Gm Mike Rizzo, the Nationals have experienced a successful, yet frustrating run in their franchise’s history. With five straight winning seasons, but nothing to show for it, the Nationals were once again aggressive on the trade market. Sending top prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez, along with 2016 first rounder Dane Dunning to the White Sox for Adam Eaton. Despite moving some very good prospects in Giolito and Lopez, the Nationals activity in the International market, and a strong 2016 draft crop, has helped restock the lower levels of the system. Due to diligent scouting, and astute drafting, Washington has been able to maintain organizational balance throughout all of the levels of the system. They have a potentially ready made replacement for Bryce Harper, should “Make Baseball Fun Again” walk for Greener Pa$trues. There’s far less arms in the upper reaches of the system than there used to be, but Erick Fedde isn’t that far from contributing on the major league level. There’s exciting young power hitter Juan Soto, and top international signing Yasel Antuna, as well as another Tommy John reclamation project in Jesus Luzardo. The Nats keep churning out the talent, and there’s no reason to think it won’t continue. It’s the Top Washington Nationals Prospects.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Baseball is back, and Halph cannot contain their excitement. With this week’s installment, we finish up our review of the top fantasy prospects in all 30 major league systems. The Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals: The Final Frontier. We once again butcher a few, if not all of the names. Sorry Justin Maese, I think. We discuss the always polarizing Rowdy Tellez, gorge ourselves on a little statutory Vlad Jr. love, and talk about why we both rank Anthony Alford highly. We fall asleep for a few minutes talking backend starters who throw sinkers. Then get our blood rushing again with the Washington Nationals now semi-depleted system. So there’s some butchering of Victor Robles name. A little talk of buzzy teenage power bat Juan Soto, followed by some Erick Fedde, and the rest of the Nationals system. It’s the latest episode of The Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast.
Please, blog, may I have some more? 2017 Minor League Preview: Toronto Blue Jays
March 2, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 29 Commentsby: Geoff
After an exciting week of Top 100 Prospect coverage following my list dropping last Wednesday, it’s back to the system reviews this week with the Toronto Blue Jays. An often underrated system, America’s Hat’s favorite team has 4 Top 100 Prospects amongst their ranks, with two exciting new comers to their organization in Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and T.J. Zeuch. It will be interesting to see what former Red Sox GM and scout Ben Cherington does in his first draft, and international period. For now we discuss the system he inherited. Cherington certainly made his bones in the Boston organization, drafting, signing, and identifying amateur talent. Can he do the same in the T Dot? Hopefully, because the Jays are a team that could use a youth movement. With the core of their lineup (Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki, and Jose Bautista) all on the wrong side of 30, the time to build up is now. Luckily there are some exciting hitters at each level of the minors, and a depth of boring right-handed strike throwers who should battle to fill out the bottom half of the Toronto rotation in coming years. It’s the Top Toronto Blue Jays Prospects!
Please, blog, may I have some more? The Leftovers: Players Who Just Missed the Cut of the Top 100
February 26, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 38 Commentsby: Geoff
After I finished my Top 100 Prospects post, I had a whole lot of leftovers of players who didn’t quite make the cut. The thing is many of these players were at one point in my Top 100, and therefore had a write up. Today’s post is those leftovers, it’s the turkey sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving, or the album a band releases a year after a successful album of all the songs that didn’t make the cut. It’s me being lazy, but also kind of wanting you to have as much of my info as possible. I get a chance to go into detail on a few last minute subtractions, and get you familiar with some players that will be jumping into my top 100 by mid-season. These are the bubble players, those that are every bit a top 100 level player as those that just limboed under the line, some flameouts looking for redemption in 2017, and everything in between. There’s a little bit of everything! I hope you enjoy, it’s the Leftovers.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year. It’s Prospector Christmas/Holidays/Festivus/Chanukah it’s Top 100 Prospects list time. Michael Halpern my cunning co-host, and I discuss the differences in our Top Prospect lists. Halp decided to be an overachiever and went a full 200 prospects over on his site Imaginarybrickwall.com. It’s brilliant, check it out. We flip flop Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi in our rankings. We then fight over Benintendi, and make up over Austin Meadows. We have some big swings on Cody Bellinger, Manuel Margot, Francis Martes, and Kyle Tucker. We mix in a little talk about my affinity for hit tool first baseman that no one else likes. Then Halp wonders how Stephen Gonsalves ended up on his Top 100 and not mine. It’s the latest episode of The Razzball Fantasy Baseball Prospect Podcast.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Top 100 Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball
February 22, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 252 Commentsby: Geoff
Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you my pièce de résistance!! Yes, applaud for me, revel in my greatness. I even broke out a fancy accent marked phrase, who does that but a pretentious liberal arts major with delusions of grandeur? This is my title fight, the list for which all prospectors are measured. It’s my Top 100 Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball. Now that I’ve gotten beyond all the muckedy muck, let me explain a little about my list, and ranks. First: Yes I 100% factor in proximity, and it effects my rankings. Second: Upside is the most important factor. Third: Production in the minors matters to me. Unless it’s in a crazy ballpark (cough, cough FirstEnergy Stadium: Reading, Pa), or contradictory to batted ball data. I’ve been deep in my hole since early October breaking down every system in the minors, reviewing video on Youtube, looking at batted ball data, checking the stats, and reading any and every scouting report I can get my hands on. It’s one part eye test/ one part player profile/ one part production. I’ve been training all offseason for this, only my training involves sweat pants, a laptop, and lots of snacks. Speaking of snacks, I’m hungry let’s get into the list!! You already know who’s ranked first… It’s Top 100 Prospects day!
Please, blog, may I have some more?Did anybody else forget that the Texas Rangers led the AL in wins last year? Because I do…early playoff exits, right Red Sox? I feel like I’ve never been so down on a winning program. The Rangers need pitching, and they need it bad. Despite finishing 7th in runs scored in all of the MLB, they barely had a positive run differential. The third worst team ERA in the AL will do that to ya. So all this to say, the Rangers need pitching, and they need it badly. Is there any help on the way from the farm system? That’s a good question, but unfortunately there’s only Yohander Mendez ready to make an impact this season, and how much of an impact he makes is up for debate. Most of the exciting arms in the Texas system are 2-3+ years away, at least. So they’ll have to look elsewhere for reinforcements. The system has been raided in recent years by promotions, and big trades to acquire, first Cole Hamels, and then Jonathan Lucroy, among others. In fact, four of the team’s last five first round picks have been moved over the last two seasons. So yeah son, the cupboard is bare. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the worst system I’ve ranked, but it could be in the bottom ten, and it’s certainly in the bottom half of the league. Have I got you excited to read this yet? Don’t worry, as a special treat for reading this, you get my Top 100 Prospects post coming Wednesday! However, for today it’s the Texas Rangers Top Prospects for 2017 Fantasy Baseball.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Prospect Podcast, Episode 27: Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers Prospects
February 18, 2017 | Prospect Podcast, Razzball Podcast | 14 Commentsby: Geoff
This episode is going to be uuuuuuuuugggge, it’s the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers Top Prospects all crammed into one. Both really tremendous, tremendous farm systems. Okay, neither of them are really that great, but our Presidential Trump filter makes everything bigly. So Halp and myself delve into both systems and our favorites from each. We talk Jose De Leon for at least the 20th time on the prospect podcast. Not because we love him or anything, but mostly because he gives us tons of reasons. Well the rest you can listen to and find out, it’s the latest episode of the Razzball Prospect Podcast.
Please, blog, may I have some more? 2017 Minor League Preview: Tampa Bay Rays
February 15, 2017 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 38 Commentsby: Geoff
I wonder if the Rays are mad at the Yankees for stealing their style? The kings of drafting/signing and stashing are back, with a whole new crop of youngsters, and there’s some underrated names to come. While their top specs may not have the name value the Yankees, or say the Braves have, many of them are destined to make an impact on fantasy in the coming years. One of my favorite shortstop prospects calls the Rays home in Willy Adames, who is at most a year away. As well as one of the more slept on corner infield prospects in Casey Gillaspie, who could have an impact this year. In fact the Rays have a lot of high floor, low ceiling types waiting in the wings in Durham ready to become wavier wire fodder, and hot schmotato’s. Not only do we have some Top 100 types, and some floorboreds, we also have some talented far off youngsters, ’round here we call them Lolita’s, for you to crush on. Without further ado, it’s the Top Tampa Bay Rays Prospects. That’s right, it’s TAMPA! Stevie J.
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