The dynasty league first-year player draft is a unique winter ritual. It’s typically how dynasty owners get their hands on all of the unowned players who were previously ineligible to be claimed. Take all the 2014 draftees from June, mix with the top international signings from Cuba and elsewhere, sprinkle in the July 2nd international prospects, and you’ve got a whole new pool of players to draft from. With both comments and questions on the topic from previous articles, I think it’s worth looking closer at some of the top options in such a draft. And there is no better way to do that than with some good old-fashioned rankings.
Disclaimer – these are obviously my personal rankings. Who you take where may hinge on what your team’s competitive window looks like, your league setup, and who is available to draft. These are also similar to prospect rankings in the sense that they are fluid and dealing with a lot of unknowns. Only players who have signed or who I expect will sign before the season were considered. This list goes 20 players deep, or through the first round of a 20-team league.
| Rk | Player | Pos | Team | Age | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoan Moncada | INF | FA | 19 | all 5 tools are plus; best Cuban since Puig/Soler? |
| 2 | Yasmany Tomas | OF | ARI | 24 | 25+ HR potential but a risky approach |
| 3 | Rusney Castillo | OF | BOS | 27 | power/speed combo; will it surface in games? |
| 4 | Alex Jackson | OF | SEA | 19 | hits and hits for power; RF profile |
| 5 | Kyle Schwarber | C/OF | CHC | 21 | +PWR, +HIT; is he an everyday MLB catcher? |
| 6 | Carlos Rodon | LHP | CWS | 22 | ++ slider and close to MLB ready |
| 7 | Bradley Zimmer | OF | CLE | 22 | 5-tool CF who hits from the left side |
| 8 | Michael Conforto | OF | NYM | 21 | + left-handed power; could reach majors quickly |
| 9 | Tyler Kolek | RHP | MIA | 19 | Texas power arm with an 80-grade heater |
| 10 | Nick Gordon | SS | MIN | 19 | not as fast as Dee, but better hit tool and pop |
| 11 | Adrian Rondon | SS | TB | 16 | top July signing; could stick at SS with +HIT already |
| 12 | Aaron Nola | RHP | PHI | 21 | 3 good pitches with polish; close to MLB ready |
| 13 | Jeff Hoffman | RHP | TOR | 21 | TJ surgery in May; still frontline starter potential |
| 14 | Brandon Finnegan | LHP | KC | 21 | already tasted the majors as RP; future SP? |
| 15 | Hector Olivera | 2B | FA | 29 | oldest on the list, but could help a team now at 2B |
| 16 | Trea Turner | SS | WAS | 21 | ++ speed; future leadoff hitter |
| 17 | Monte Harrison | OF | MIL | 19 | athletic CF with power/arm to play RF too |
| 18 | Derek Hill | OF | DET | 19 | speedy CF with a leadoff profile |
| 19 | Touki Toussaint | RHP | ARI | 18 | ++ fastball and a big curve; 3+ years away |
| 20 | Tyler Beede | RHP | SF | 21 | solid arm; still working on control |
