Top Prospects: 2014 Consensus Top 200 Fantasy Prospects, Part 3

It's been a long offseason, and with baseball games already being played, the prospect staff here at Fake Teams has finished up the last of their coverage plan with the completion of our consensus top 200 fantasy prospects. We've seen changes in our staff, but as always our aim is to provide the readers with as much coverage of the minor leagues as possible for your dynasty and keeper formats. The top 200 will be split into three parts: Top 50, 51-100, and 101-200.

Our Process

After participating in the discussion of each team's list over the offseason, our prospect staff submitted an initial top 200 list of prospects. We pulled those lists together, and gave each player ranked a set amount of points based on each list's ranking, starting with 200 points for the #1 prospect on each list, and so on. Once we had our initial list, we discussed players where we felt one ranker may have been out of step in either direction. The goal wasn't necessarily to change that ranker's mind about their ranking, but more to get an understanding of their concerns regarding the prospect.

For each prospect, we are providing their ranking on the individual lists of Jason Hunt, Brian Creagh, and Matt Mattingly, as well as the overall consensus ranking based on our points system. In addition, I (Jason) have gone through and estimated the start level and league for each player for the 2014 season, as well as an approximate ETA to the majors. These are all educated estimates, and we will likely find out that players are going elsewhere as the spring wears on.

I will also add for this part of the list that once you're outside the top 100, it really starts becoming a matter of personal preference. You'll see players that are on the list with just one ranking, as well as players that are either a long way from contributing or unlikely to have a high ceiling for fantasy. We could realistically go back and forth on specific players from 101-200 all day, and probably convince each other that a specific player belongs at 101 or at 200. You're really looking at the depth of your league at this point to see whether these prospects would be useful to your team, as a number of those prospects aren't likely to be relevant except in the deepest single-league formats for dynasty owners.

The Usual Reminders

You've probably heard it before, but any time you prepare a ranked list of any kind, it bears repeating. This list is a snapshot of a moment in time, and will likely change at any given point in the future. We believe that these are the top 50 fantasy prospects right now collectively, but each writer had their own opinion on where each prospect belongs on their own list. So you'll see players that are ranked differently by each of our writers, some very substantially. This is the first time Fake Teams has ever produced a set of prospect rankings this deep, and we're very proud of the work we've done this offseason. We welcome your comments and questions, and want discussion to follow along with these lists.

While I will not be writing up every prospect in our rankings (you can see quite a few of them in our Minor League Keeper Thoughts series from this year), I will be providing some notes on a lot of them. I'm also dividing the rankings up into groups of 10. These are not tiers or specifically divided that way for a reason other than I wanted to divide them into more manageable groups, so don't read too much into the specific separations. With that, let's get into the rankings.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
101	Domingo Santana	HOU	OF	276	119	156	58	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
102	Bubba Starling	KC	OF	275	131	102	101	High-A - Carolina	2016
103	Josh Bell	PIT	OF	270	89	144	106	High-A - Florida State	2016
104	Jonathan Schoop	BAL	2B	266	85	150	108	AAA - International	2014
105	J.R. Graham	ATL	RHP	263	83	96	167	AAA - International	Late 2014
106	Eddie Rosario	MIN	2B	260	113	147	89	AA - Eastern	2015
107	Zach Lee	LAD	RHP	259	92	124	134	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
108	Jackie Bradley	BOS	OF	258	108	183	60	MLB	2014
108	Austin Hedges	SD	C	258	117	84	150	AA - Texas	2015
110	Mike Foltynewicz	HOU	RHP	257	103	172	77	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014

• Eddie Rosario hasn't been doing himself any favors, as he'll miss the first 50 games of the season with a drug suspension. He'll likely return to AA when he is ready, and realistically won't see the majors until some time in 2015. By that point, it's entirely possible that Brian Dozier has really cemented himself into the job, leaving Rosario looking in again.
• Josh Bell could blow up this year if he has a strong campaign at High-A. Viewed as a top 10 draft pick in 2011, Bell has slowly moved his way through the system, and still has the potential to be an impact power bat in the future. It's possible he may end up at first base, which would hurt his overall value, but could still potential play for most fantasy leagues.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
111	Alex Gonzalez	TEX	RHP	252	116	82	159	AA - Texas	2015
112	Alex Reyes	STL	RHP	252	107	103	147	Low-A - Midwest	2017
113	Chris Anderson	LAD	RHP	251	100	131	127	High-A - California	2016
114	Jorge Bonifacio	KC	OF	248	154	104	103	AA - Texas	2015
115	Delino DeShields	HOU	OF	244	120	194	51	AA - Texas	2015
116	Justin Nicolino	MIA	LHP	243	84	106	176	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
117	Josmil Pinto	MIN	C	242	96	108	163	MLB	2014
117	Pierce Johnson	CHC	RHP	242	115	122	130	High-A - Florida State	2016
119	Trey Ball	BOS	LHP	241	187	105	76	Short Season	2017
119	Jose Berrios	MIN	RHP	241	87	98	183	High-A - Florida State	2016

• The Twins don't seem sold on the idea that Josmil Pinto can be their everyday catcher, which may be true given reports on his defense in previous years. I do think he eventually ends up supplanting Kurt Suzuki as the starter, but it may take until midseason.
• The speed remains tantalizing with Delino DeShields, and it will be interesting to see how he does with the move to the outfield. He should be able to use his speed more effectively there, and potentially gives him a slightly clearer path to the majors.
• Alex Reyes is a name that has been getting a ton of helium this offseason, and if he can build on those reports this year in full season ball, he could end up in the top 50. His story is unique in that he actually lived in the US, and moved to the Dominican Republic in order to sign as an international free agent instead of being subject to the draft.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
121	Taylor Lindsey	LAA	2B	239	149	83	138	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
122	Cesar Puello	NYM	OF	235	109	178	87	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
123	Mason Williams	NYY	OF	234	152	133	90	AA - Eastern	2015
124	Eric Jagielo	NYY	3B	233	98	87	191	Low-A - Sally	2017
125	Kyle Parker	COL	OF	232	142	100	135	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
126	Lance McCullers	HOU	RHP	232	122	171	84	High-A - California	2016
127	Lewis Thorpe	MIN	LHP	222	95	121	171	Low-A - Midwest	2017
128	Rosell Herrera	COL	SS	221	111	175	102	High-A - California	2016
129	Miguel Almonte	KC	RHP	221	126	93	169	High-A - Carolina	2016
130	Taylor Guerrieri	TAM	RHP	221	112	119	157	Injured	2017

• Cesar Puello missed a substantial portion of last year due to his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, and to some extent is getting overlooked. It remains to be seen whether his performance will suffer, and with him likely headed to Las Vegas to start the year, we're not likely to know until he is in the majors whether his offense will suffer.
• Taylor Guerrieri will miss the full season as a result of needing Tommy John surgery, but could be a forgotten name this time next year as a result. I still like the profile, but you'll want to wait until he starts throwing again before targetting him.
• Lance McCullers has the potential to be either an above-average starting pitcher, or potentially an elite back-of-the-bullpen arm with the potential to close. I wouldn't plan on reading too much into his numbers in the California League, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Astros moved him out of there relatively quickly.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
131	Mike Olt	CHC	3B	220	151	123	115	AAA - Pacific Coast	2014
132	Jake Odorizzi	TAM	RHP	216	106	155	132	MLB	2014
133	Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez	PHI	RHP	213	183	113	100	AAA - International	Late 2014
134	Luis Sardinas	TEX	SS	202	128	137	142	AA - Texas	2015
135	Allen Webster	BOS	RHP	194	147	154	114	MLB	2014
136	Luis Heredia	PIT	RHP	193	139	151	126	High-A - Florida State	2016
137	Francisco Mejia	CLE	C	187	155	64		Low-A - Midwest	2017
138	Marco Gonzalez	STL	RHP	183	101	184	141	High-A - Florida State	2016
139	Trevor Bauer	CLE	RHP	182	145	187	95	AAA - International	2014
140	Burch Smith	SD	RHP	181	125	157	146	MLB	2014

• Mike Olt still has a shot at the starting job on the north side, but with Javier Baez and Kris Bryant coming, he's going to need to establish himself quickly to avoid being bypassed entirely.
• What do we do about Trevor Bauer at this point? If he has started to take instruction from coaches better, he could vault back into everyone's mind very quickly. If not, he could drop off this list entirely in a year.
• I think that both Allen Webster and Burch Smith end up working in the bullpen for their respective teams this year, with the potential for some spot starts from time to time.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
141	Tyrone Taylor	MIL	OF	175	196	110	128	High-A - Florida State	2016
142	Dustin Peterson	SD	3B	174	133	99		Low-A - Midwest	2017
143	Lewis Brinson	TEX	OF	172	153	126	158	High-A - Carolina	2016
144	Trevor Story	COL	SS	169	132	199	109	High-A - California	2016
145	Nick Kingham	PIT	RHP	159	127	162	161	AA - Eastern	2015
146	Marcus Semien	CHW	2B	157	161	158	133	AAA - International	Late 2014
147	Devon Travis	DET	2B	154	134		118	AA - Eastern	2015
148	Jake Thompson	DET	LHP	154	135	117		High-A - Florida State	2016
149	Clayton Blackburn	SF	RHP	153	168	164	124	AA - Eastern	2015
150	Sean Nolin	TOR	LHP	152	123	140	194	AAA - International	Late 2014

• It was a completely lost year for Trevor Story, and at this point he could end up splitting time in some way with Rosell Herrera. Hopefully this is a bounceback year, or he could also fall completely off this list in a year's time.
• Clayton Blackburn isn't exactly the most awe-inspiring profile, but is an interesting target in deeper leagues, as he profiles as a back-end rotation innings eater who should help your ratios while not killing you in strikeouts.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
151	Franklin Barreto	TOR	SS	145	141	120		Low-A - Midwest	2017
152	Bobby Wahl	OAK	RHP	143	138	125		High-A - California	2016
153	Roberto Osuna	TOR	RHP	142	167	97		Injured	2017
154	Tom Murphy	COL	C	137	195	152	125	AA - Texas	Late 2015
155	Robbie Ray	DET	RHP	134	137	161	177	AAA - International	Late 2014
156	Renato Nunez	OAK	3B	130	160	116		High-A - California	2016
157	Wilmer Flores	NYM	2B	127	156		123	MLB	2014
158	C.J. Cron	LAA	1B	124			79	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
159	Dorssys Paulino	CLE	3B/2B	123	193	109	184	High-A - Carolina	2016
160	Christian Bethancourt	ATL	C	120	158	186	145	AAA - International	Late 2014

• Christian Bethancourt is another prospect where the real life value is much higher than the fantasy value. It's possible that he could hit for some power still, but as of now it's hard to see him being more than a deep NL-only play.
• I don't know exactly where he's going to play, but I do think that Wilmer Flores ends up making the opening day roster for the Mets this year. There have been rumors that the team might try him again at shortstop to try to get him in the lineup, but would likely be a poor defender there. It seems more likely that if Ike Davis and Lucas Duda struggle again, we could see Flores at either first or second.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
161	Chris Stratton	SF	RHP	116	174	159	160	High-A - California	2016
162	Victor Roache	MIL	OF	113		180	113	High-A - Florida State	2016
163	Vincent Velasquez	HOU	RHP	108		146	152	AA - Texas	2015
164	Slade Heathcott	NYY	OF	100		114	192	AAA - International	Late 2014
165	Tyler Austin	NYY	OF	100		138	168	AA - Eastern	2015
166	Ryne Stanek	TAM	RHP	95	144	167		Low-A - Midwest	2016
167	Tommy La Stella	ATL	2B	95	162		149	AAA - International	Late 2014
168	Stryker Trahan	ARI	OF	94	171	174	170	Low-A - Midwest	2017
169	Jason Hursh	ATL	RHP	91			112	High-A - Carolina	2016
170	Austin Wilson	SEA	OF	91		112		Low-A - Midwest	2017

• It's entirely possible that Tommy La Stella makes the Braves as the second baseman if they think that he's a better option than Dan Uggla, and is a nice target late in drafts for NL-only leagues. I think it's more likely he ends up at AAA to start the year, but if Uggla can't get his contact issues under control, they'll make the call.
• The Diamondbacks tried Stryker Trahan at catcher each of his first two seasons, but have decided that the bat is worth moving more quickly, and Trahan will head to the outfield instead. I could potentially see him finishing the season at High-A this year, and in the majors by the end of 2015 if they move him that quickly.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
171	Michael Taylor	WAS	OF	90	150		166	AA - Eastern	Late 2015
172	Alberto Tirado	TOR	RHP	89	176	141		Low-A - Midwest	2017
173	Nomar Mazara	TEX	1B	88		115		High-A - Carolina	2016
174	Cheslor Cuthbert	KCR	3B	86		177	143	AA - Texas	2015
175	Rio Ruiz	HOU	3B	86			117	High-A - California	2016
176	Max Stassi	HOU	C	85	148		173	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
177	Anthony Ranaudo	BOS	RHP	84			119	AAA - International	Late 2014
178	Luiz Gohara	SEA	LHP	83	178	145		Short Season	2017
179	Matt Skole	WAS	3B	82	121			AAA - International	Late 2014
180	Bryce Brentz	BOS	OF	81			122	AAA - International	Mid 2014

• I can see both Max Stassi and Bryce Brentz getting a decent amount of playing time this year in the majors, depending on how a few other things go with their teams. I would look at them as last round fliers in AL-only leagues.
• Matt Skole missed the entire 2013 season due to injury, but could see time at either first base or third base if there are injuries in the major league level. I like him to be a potential 25 home run bat IF he can get the playing time needed to get a full season worth of at bats.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
181	Chris Bostick	TEX	2B	79	130	197		High-A - Carolina	2016
182	Randal Grichuk	STL	OF	77	140		189	AAA - Pacific Coast	2015
183	Mac Williamson	SF	OF	76	190		140	AA - Eastern	Late 2015
184	Ian Clarkin	NYY	RHP	75		128		Short Season	2017
185	Jace Peterson	SD	SS	74			129	AA - Texas	Late 2015
186	Mitch Nay	TOR	3B	73		130		Low-A - Midwest	2017
187	Corey Knebel	DET	RHP	71		132		High-A - Florida State	Late 2015
188	Kaleb Cowart	LAA	3B	71	179		156	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
189	Edwin Diaz	SEA	RHP	70	173	163		Low-A - Midwest	2017
190	Jeimer Candelario	CHC	3B	69		173	164	High-A - Florida State	2016

• I love the profile Chris Bostick has in the middle infield, hitting potentially double digit home runs and stealing double digit bases in a full season. He's behind a lot of middle infield prospects in the Rangers' system, but I still think he ends up in a starting role eventually.

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt	Exp. 2014 Start Level and League	Exp. MLB ETA
191	Ty Hensley	NYY	RHP	69		134		Short Season	2017
192	Luke Jackson	TEX	RHP	67			136	AA - Texas	Late 2015
193	Daniel Norris	TOR	LHP	67	136			High-A - Florida State	2016
194	Micah Johnson	CHW	2B	64	163	196	186	AA - Southern	Late 2015
195	Tim Wheeler	COL	OF	64			139	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
196	Edwin Escobar	SF	LHP	63		195	148	AA - Eastern	Late 2015
197	Jordan Patterson	COL	OF	60		143		High-A - California	2016
198	Neil Ramirez	CHC	RHP	59			144	AAA - Pacific Coast	Late 2014
199	Mauricio Cabrera	ATL	RHP	57	146			High-A - Carolina	2016
200	Devin Williams	MIL	RHP	56	169	181		Low-A - Midwest	2017

• Micah Johnson is a name worth keeping an eye on, and could rocket up the list if he hits the same way in AA that he did last year. The speed potential (84 stolen bases last year) could make him relevant in all leagues, but I want to see it some similar level of performance at AA.

Others receiving Votes:

Consensus Rank	Player	Team	Position	Ranking Points	Jason	Brian	Matt
201	Micker Zapata	CHW	OF	55		148
202	Rob Kaminsky	STL	LHP	55	185	166
203	Enny Romero	TAM	LHP	53		160	193
204	Alex Colome	TAM	LHP	52			151
205	Brandon Nimmo	NYM	OF	49			154
206	Roman Quinn	PHI	SS	46	157
207	Jose Peraza	ATL	SS	44	159
208	Dilson Herrera	NYM	2B	41			162
209	Mike Wright	BAL	RHP	39	164
210	Aaron Judge	NYY	OF	38		165
211	Adam Conley	MIA	LHP	38	165
212	Joe Wieland	SD	LHP	38			165
213	Rafael De Paula	NYY	RHP	38	181		187
214	Josh Hart	BAL	OF	35		168
215	Rafael Devers	BOS	3B	34		169
216	Jonathan Denney	BOS	C	33	170
217	Martin Agosto	SF	LHP	31			172
218	Nate Karns	WAS	RHP	31	172
219	Trevor May	MIN	RHP	29		189	188
220	Dan Fields	DET	OF	29			174
221	Danny Hultzen	SEA	LHP	28			175
222	Joe Ross	SD	RHP	28	175
223	Kevin Plawecki	NYM	C	28		200	178
224	Travis Harrison	MIN	3B	27		176
225	Raul Alcantara	OAK	LHP	26	177
226	Cory Spangenberg	SD	2B	24			179
227	Chris Taylor	SEA	2B	23			180
228	Victor Caratini	ATL	3B	23	180
229	David Holmberg	CIN	LHP	22			181
230	Trayce Thompson	CHW	OF	21			182
231	Victor Sanchez	SEA	RHP	21	182
232	Sammy Solis	WAS	LHP	19	184
233	Justin Williams	ARI	RHP	18		185
234	Arodys Vizciano	CHC	RHP	18			185
235	B.J. Boyd	OAK	OF	17	186
236	Manuel Margot	BOS	OF	15		188
237	Zack Eflin	SD	LHP	15	188
238	Adam Walker	MIN	OF	14	189
239	Trey Williams	PHI	3B	13		190
240	Tyler Pike	SEA	RHP	13			190
241	Jose Ramirez	CLE	2B	12		191
242	Clint Coulter	MIL	C	12	191
243	James McCann	DET	C	11		192
244	Yorman Rodriguez	CIN	OF	11	192
245	Greg Bird	NYY	1B	10		193
246	Mark Sappington	LAA	RHP	9	194
247	D.J. Davis	TOR	OF	9		198	199
248	Preston Tucker	HOU	OF	8			195
249	Stefen Romero	SEA	OF	7			196
250	Michael Ynoa	OAK	RHP	7	199		200
251	Nicholas Travieso	CIN	RHP	6			197
252	Nick Ciuffo	TAM	C	6	197
253	Christian Villanueva	CHC	3B	5	198
254	Deven Marrero	BOS	SS	5			198
255	Michael Lorenzen	CIN	RHP	3	200

Have a question about a specific prospect that we didn't write up, or about the rankings in general? Post it in the comments, and we'll do our best to respond to them all quickly.