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Top Fantasy Prospects for the Rest of the Season, Week 3

We have our first graduate from the Buy and Hold and it's only the third week of the season. Who joins the list now that Kris Bryant is in the Majors?

By Jason Hunt
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

It's fun when predictions are accurate. Last week, I said I thought the Cubs wouldn't bring up top prospect Kris Bryant until the 17th, just to be sure that when they brought him up, he wouldn't reach 172 days of service time this year and get that magical extra year of control. Oh, and will you look at that...

Did the Cubs likely game the system here? Probably. Could they have won more games than they did if they had him in the lineup on the first day of the season? I guess it's possible, but since they've won 5 of the 8 he wasn't here for, it's not like it necessarily would have been a huge impact. It's too bad that Mike Olt breaking his wrist ended up being the perfectly timed unfortunate reason for Bryant's arrival, but here we are anyway.

So who's next? Which prospect is still worth holding onto now for when they are called up to the majors later?

Graduates: Kris Bryant, Yasmany Tomas

1. Carlos Rodon - White Sox (+1)

Currently at: AAA Charlotte
Likely Call Up: Mid-May

Rodon has made two starts so far with Charlotte, throwing 10 innings with 13 strikeouts, four walks, and a 3.60 ERA. The second start got off to a rough first inning, but settled in and retired the final seven batters he faced in a row. The person blocking him in the rotation, Hector Noesi, didn't make it out of the fifth inning in his first start of the year and had his turn skipped yesterday against the Tigers. This one is really only a matter of time, whether it's because Rodon forces them to bring him up or Noesi forces them to bring Rodon up.

2. Noah Syndergaard - Mets (+1)

Currently at: AAA Las Vegas
Likely Call Up: End of May

Syndergaard will make his second start of the season tonight in Las Vegas, and with Dillon Gee making two poor starts so far and the Mets playing well, it wouldn't surprise me if the Mets made a change with another couple bad ones. Neither Thor or Steven Matz are on that schedule right now, but there really isn't a ton left for Syndergaard to work on down there that he can't work on in the majors.

3. Andrew Heaney - Angels (+1)

Currently at: AAA Salt Lake City
Likely Call Up: Spot starts unless there's an injury

The Angels haven't announced their starter for Sunday's game yet, but it is currently expected to be Garrett Richards. Heaney didn't do himself any favors with his outing on Wednesday, giving up seven runs in just 2/3 of a inning pitched, but still represents a likely better option should Shoemaker or Santiago falter.

4. Maikel Franco - Phillies (New)

Currently at: AAA Lehigh Valley
Likely Call Up: mid-May

A new addition to the list, I had actually been looking into Franco before Daniel Kelley thought he made a good Future in this week's Ticker, and tend to agree. Ryan Howard has been terrible so far, and there isn't really a whole lot of reason to think he's going to dramatically and quickly improve. Franco could play at first base and probably provide at least the same level of production right now. I can see him providing a .260-.270 batting average and 15-20 home runs if he's called up by mid-May.

5. Rusney Castillo - Red Sox (Down 2)

Currently at: AAA Pawtucket - Disabled List
Likely Call Up: Closer toward the end of May now

Cursing players is no fun. I moved Castillo up to the #3 spot last week in part because he's been destroying AAA pitching and the Red Sox' outfield could potentially be made up of peanut brittle in right field. So it was an unfortunate turn that he injured his shoulder trying to make a diving catch earlier in the week, and is now on the disabled list. We'll put him back in the five spot here, hope that the injury clears up quickly, and no one else is hurt by my moving them up in the rankings.

Honorable Mentions

Addison Russell (Cubs) - Russell is off to a hot start at AAA Iowa, and while he will need more time than Bryant did, he could be up sometime around the end of June if the Cubs are still struggling at second base.

Corey Seager (Dodgers) - News came on Thursday that Seager got his first start at AA at third base rather than shortstop, and with Juan Uribe struggling, it's not inconceivable that the Dodgers bring him up after getting 10-15 games at the position.

Francisco Lindor (Indians) - The injury news just keeps coming for the Tribe with Yan Gomes hitting the disabled list, but with Lindor struggling just as much as current shortstop Jose Ramirez, this one may not happen until closer to midseason.