Prospect Power Rankings, 2015 Fantasy Baseball

Every other week Razzball ranks the prospects closest to contributing to your fantasy roster. The list is limited to players who still have rookie eligibility (less than 130 at bats or 50 innings pitched) and who are currently in the minor leagues. It’s not a list based on talent alone, but rather it’s a mixture of talent and opportunity. It will change frequently over the course of the season as prospects graduate to the majors, injuries occur, or service time roadblocks are passed. While chatting with J-FOH this week, he mentioned how important it is to look at your team’s needs at this point in the year, so I’ve divided the list into three needs-based “chunks”. With the minor league season winding down and September call-ups almost here, this will be the last edition of the power rankings. Here are the top 15 prospects on the cusp of the major leagues for 2015 fantasy baseball…

** designates the players who are currently on the 40-man roster…

Hit/Power

**Hector Olivera, 3B – Off to a slow start since his return from a hamstring injury, Olivera is still one of the better bets for a long look this September. If he shakes the rust off quickly, you’re hoping for a .280 average with a handful of homers for the month of September.

Corey Seager, SS – While he’s still not on the 40-man, Seager has been playing more third base lately. The 21-year-old is hitting .255 with four homers in his last ten games at Triple-A and there’s not much more he can do to prove that he deserves a look at short or the hot corner this September, even if it’s in a part-time role. Fantasy expectations should be similar to Olivera’s – decent average with some pop.

**Joey Gallo, 3B – Gallo is a risky bet down the stretch, but is probably more readily available in leagues at this point. He’s hitting just .118 with no home runs over his last ten, and a free-swinging Gallo could hurt your team just as much as he could help it. If you’re really desperate for power, I’d still take him over Judge and guys like Steven Moya though.

Aaron Judge, OF – The big knock on Judge as a September gamble here is that he’s not on the 40-man and won’t have a clear path to playing time with the playoff-bound Yankees. He’s not exactly smoking the ball at Triple-A either, hitting just .200 over his last ten games with two dingers.

**Brandon Drury, 2B/3B – Drury might get a long look this September with basically Aaron Hill the only roadblock at second base. He doesn’t have the power upside of the others, but he can help your team in batting average. He’s hitting .335 at Triple-A this year and .415 over his last ten.

Speed

**Dalton Pompey, OF – Pompey has done nothing but hit since getting back to Triple-A. He’s batting .389 over his last ten games and has the speed to steal 25+ bags over a full season. How that factors into the Blue Jays’ September plans is yet to be seen, but the odds are pretty good that he’ll be a September call-up and contribute to their playoff run in some capacity, even if it’s not as the everyday center fielder.

**Micah Johnson, 2B – Carlos Sanchez is hitting .245 with a homer and a steal over the last month. Johnson recently returned from a hamstring injury after stealing 23 bags in June and July. Whether or not the White Sox make the switch, Johnson should at least be on your radar if you’re speed hungry. Sanchez plays a better second though, so putting all of your eggs into Johnson getting a full-time look at the keystone this September might not be the safest plan.

**Terrance Gore, OF – Gore is pretty much a pinch-runner, but when you’re chasing every steal in a roto battle or head-to-head playoff matchup, guys like him can make a difference. Gore now has 38 steals in just 83 games at Double-A.

Mallex Smith, OF – Cameron Maybin isn’t going anywhere, but if Smith can find some playing time or even pinch run, he’s going to contribute steals. Smith is hitting .310 with 50 stolen bases between AA and AAA and he knows how to sport a ball cap.

Bradley Zimmer, OF – Zimmer isn’t on the 40-man and he’s not a blazer, but he could contribute a little of everything down the stretch with some consistent playing time. Abraham Almonte is currently holding down the fort in center field for the Indians, but it’s only a matter of time before that’s Zimmer’s spot, and the Tribe may want to give him a look before the end of this year. He has six homers and nine steals in 39 games at Double-A Akron.

Pitching

Jose Berrios, RHP – Here are two things we know: Berrios has pitched really, really well for Triple-A Rochester and the Twins have refused to call him up despite not having a good starting rotation. By the time he does get a look this year, he’s going to be bumping his head against an innings cap, even if it’s a soft one. At any rate, he’s still your best bet as a pitching stash right now with 30 strikeouts in his last 20 innings pitched.

Robert Stephenson, RHP – Back from a minor wrist injury, it appears as though the Reds are interested in giving Stephenson a look this September. Prior to landing on the DL the 22-year-old was a tad inconsistent, showing both flashes of brilliance and lapses in control. He threw four scoreless in his first start back on Thursday.

Blake Snell, LHP – Snell has had arguably the biggest breakout in the minors this season, and it’s about to come to a head with talk that he could be a September call-up. Snell is in position to join the rotation for the Rays in 2016, but a strong showing in a couple of starts next month could seal the deal.

Tyler Glasnow, RHP – Glasnow probably isn’t ready to take on a starting slot at this point, but he’s talented enough to have some value in the bullpen this fall. He hasn’t allowed a run in each of his last three starts and more importantly hasn’t walked more than three in any of them either. It will be interesting to see how the Pirates use him down the stretch.

Zach Davies, RHP – A tier down from the rest of the list, Davies could still be useful in deeper formats if the Brewers slide him into their rotation for a handful of starts in September.

Recent Graduates: Byron Buxton (1) | Jose Peraza (4) | Domingo Santana (8) | Aaron Altherr (10)