Fantasy Baseball Prospects: American League Team Top-15s

Fantasy Baseball Prospects Jo Adell — MESA, AZ - OCTOBER 19: Mesa Solar Sox center fielder Jo Adell (25) bats during the Arizona Fall League Baseball game between the Peoria Javelinas and the Mesa Solar Sox on October 19, 2019 at Sloan Park in Mesa, AZ. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

Throughout the offseason and into Spring Training, I’ve been ranking and discussing the top fantasy baseball prospects from each Major League team. Now it’s time to get these bad boys all in one spot. Below are my top-15 dynasty prospects from each American League team along with some notes on every system and some select prospects in those systems. Enjoy!

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Fantasy Baseball Prospects – American League Team Top 15’s

Baltimore Orioles

Adley Rutschman C
Grayson Rodriguez RHP
DL Hall LHP
Ryan Mountcastle 1B/3B/OF
Austin Hays OF
Yusniel Diaz OF
Adam Hall MIF
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan McKenna OF
Michael Baumann RHP
Drew Rom LHP
Dean Kremer RHP
Kyle Stowers OF
Zac Lowther LHP
Zach Watson OF

Over the last several years, the Baltimore Orioles haven’t had the best track record with developing prospects, especially on the mound. With some former Houston Astros player development minds in the system, there’s some hope that this system can be built up to higher standards. Drafting a generational catching talent like Adley Rutschman certainly helps and both Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall are top-100 overall prospects and two of the most talented arms in the minors. If Hall can improve his command and control, watch out. For 2020, Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle have value and several arms like Michael Baumann and Drew Rom are on the rise. If you’re looking for a couple of prospects to grab now in deeper leagues on the cheap, I’d recommend outfielders Zach Watson and Elio Prado.

Boston Red Sox

Tristan Casas 1B
Jeter Downs SS
Bobby Dalbec 3B
Gilberto Jimenez OF
Jarren Duran OF
Bryan Mata RHP
Jay Groome LHP
Thad Ward RHP
Matthew Lugo SS
C.J. Chatham SS
Noah Song RHP
Tanner Houck RHP
Bryan Gonzalez OF
Eduardo Lopez OF
Antoni Flores SS

Whenever a team goes through a Dave Dombrowski era, you can expect your farm system to be worse than it was when he took the reigns. That’s just how he is and that’s exactly what happened here with the Boston Red Sox. A once top-10 system is now a bottom-10 system, but one that is certainly on the rise. I’ve gone on record saying that Triston Casas will be a top-25 dynasty prospect by this time next season and Jeter Downs isn’t far behind him. Beyond them, Bobby Dalbec and his big power should have an impact in Boston this season, Gilberto Jimenez is firmly on the rise, and Jay Groome is FINALLY back on a mound. Fingers crossed. There’s also some intriguing talent in the lower levels that could have this system out of the bottom-10 systems very soon. Keep an eye on Bryan Gonzalez, Eduardo Lopez, Brayan Bello, and Darel Belen.

New York Yankees

Jasson Dominguez OF
Clarke Schmidt RHP
Estevan Florial OF
Luis Gil RHP
Deivi Garcia RHP
Kevin Alcantara OF
Antonio Cabello OF
Alexander Vargas SS
Maikol Escotto 2B
Luis Medina RHP
Canaan Smith OF
Anthony Volpe SS
Everson Pereira OF
Anthony Seigler C
Yoendrys Gomez RHP

This Yankees system continues to be one of the deepest and most talented in baseball. Outside of Jasson Dominguez, there’s not a ton of elite talent, but when it comes to depth and rising talent, the Yankees are one of the leaders. I’ve long said that you need to have a few upside plays at the back-end of your dynasty prospect roster and guys like Kevin Alcantara, Alexander Vargas, Maikol Escotto, and Antonio Cabello fit that mold perfectly. Hopefully, this is the year Luis Medina can finally turn the damn corner. He’s hinted at it a couple of times but couldn’t maintain his gains. This is the most talented arm in the system without question but he needs to improve his command and control immensely. Both Clarke Schmidt and Deivi Garcia are likely to debut early this season with Schmidt being the one I’m higher on. Saw Garcia live and I wasn’t overly impressed. He’s a sell-high prospect for me.

Tampa Bay Rays

Wander Franco SS
Vidal Brujan 2B
Xavier Edwards 2B/SS
Shane Baz RHP
Brendan McKay LHP/DH
Greg Jones SS
Josh Lowe OF
Brent Honeywell RHP
Shane McClanahan LHP
Ronaldo Hernandez C
Nick Schnell OF
Taylor Walls SS
Joe Ryan RHP
JJ Goss RHP
Moises Gomez OF

When it comes to combining top-end talent with depth, very few farm systems can rival the Tampa Bay Rays. Even after trading their best pitching prospect, Matthew Liberatore, to St. Louis, they still boast Brendan McKay, Shane Baz, Shane McClanahan, Brent Honeywell, Joe Ryan, and many more. Honeywell might just be the most talented of the bunch but he hasn’t pitched in two seasons and is incredibly risky at this point. But sometimes, those make for the best buy-low candidates in dynasty leagues. Liberatore might be gone, but in a separate deal, Tampa Bay brought in the slap-dickiest of all the slap dick prospects, Xavier Edwards. Yes, he has minimal power, but there’s legit .300/40 SB upside here. The same can be said for Brujan, but with double-digit power. Oh yeah, there’s that Wander Franco kid. Rumor has it he’s pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean he could win an MVP award some day with .320+/30/15 upside.

Toronto Blue Jays

Nate Pearson RHP
Jordan Groshans SS
Orelvis Martinez SS
Alek Manoah RHP
Simeon Woods-Richardson RHP
Miguel Hiraldo 2B/SS
Adam Kloffenstein RHP
Gabriel Moreno C
Eric Pardinho RHP
Griffin Conine OF
Alejandro Kirk C
Kevin Smith 3B/SS
Anthony Kay LHP
Kendall Williams RHP
Chavez Young OF

Well, the quartet of Vlad, Bo, Biggio, and Gurriel are now settled into the heart of Toronto’s lineup, but there’s still plenty of intriguing talent left in this Toronto system. Nate Pearson has blossomed into one of the top-5 pitching prospects in baseball and should debut early in 2020. Like I mentioned on Twitter twice now, stash him in re-draft! Three other arms I’m high on are Simeon Woods-Richardson, Alek Manoah, and Adam Kloffenstein. All are highly-recommended buys in dynasty leagues. Switching over to offense, Jordan Groshans is rising up prospect rankings thanks to his potent bat and Orelvis Martinez isn’t too far behind him. Both guys could be much higher in my mid-season top-250 update. In deeper dynasty leagues, Otto Lopez is a name of note after a strong 2019 campaign.

Chicago White Sox

Luis Robert OF
Andrew Vaughn 1B
Michael Kopech RHP
Nick Madrigal 2B
Jonathan Stiever RHP
Micker Adolfo OF
Luis Alexander Basabe OF
Dane Dunning RHP
Gavin Sheets 1B
Bryan Ramos 3B
Zack Collins C
Matthew Thompson RHP
Luis Gonzalez OF
Blake Rutherford OF
Yolbert Sanchez SS

This system can be described in two words: top-heavy and 2020. Okay, one is a number but you get my drift. Outside of the top-4, this system gets much less interesting. Three of those four will make an impact in 2020 with Vaughn being the lone exception. Leading the way is Luis Robert coming off a monster 2019 season where he joined the 30/30 club and hit well over .300. Don’t expect the average to be that high in 2020 due to spin recognition and chase concerns, but he very easily could post a .250/20/25 type of season. Madrigal’s upside isn’t nearly that high but .280+ and 20+ steals looks damn good in the late rounds. If you have bench depth, Kopech is a good stash and likely is back in the rotation by Memorial Day.

Cleveland Indians

Nolan Jones 3B
George Valera OF
Brayan Rocchio SS
Tyler Freeman SS
Aaron Bracho 2B
Ethan Hankins RHP
Daniel Espino RHP
Gabriel Rodriguez SS
Alexfri Planez OF
Triston McKenzie RHP
Angel Martinez INF
Jhonkensy Noel 1B/3B
Daniel Johnson OF
Bobby Bradley 1B
Will Benson OF

With all the young, rising talent in this system, Cleveland has a chance to be a top-3 farm system in short order. There are so many I could recommend now while they’re price is low, that it’s impossible to mention them all in one paragraph. My two favorite young targets are outfielder Alexfri Planez and right-hander Daniel Espino. Planez could be top-50 overall by this time next season and Espino is my favorite arm longterm from the 2019 draft with sky-high upside. If middle infielders are your thing, Cleveland has a ton of them with Brayan Rocchio, Tyler Freeman, Aaron Bracho, and Gabriel Martinez making good dynasty targets. One player here I’m looking to sell is Triston McKenzie due to durability concerns.

Detroit Tigers

Matt Manning RHP
Casey Mize RHP
Riley Greene OF
Tarik Skubal LHP
Isaac Paredes 3B/SS
Parker Meadows OF
Daz Cameron OF
Bryant Packard OF
Willi Castro SS
Wenceel Perez SS
Franklin Perez RHP
Jose De La Cruz OF
Joey Wentz LHP
Alex Faedo RHP
Adinso Reyes SS

Pitching, pitching, pitching. The amount of pitching talent and depth in this Detroit system is crazy. Both Matt Manning and Casey Mize are two of the seven best pitching prospects in baseball and should make a formidable 1-2 in Detroit very soon. Creeping up on them after a breakout 2019 season is Tarik Skubal but he profiles more as a high-end #3 starter and lacks the elite upside of Manning and Mize. Still, he should be a top strikeout artist year after year. Other pitching prospects to target or monitor are Alex Faedo, Franklin Perez, and Joey Wentz. Perez has the highest upside of the trio but just can’t stay healthy. For hitters, Daz Cameron and Willi Castro have some 2020 value and we could see Isaac Paredes later in the season. Two under the radar hitters are Bryant Packard and Parker Meadows. Packard is the safer, floor option while Meadows has higher upside, but concerns about how much average he can hit for.

Kansas City Royals

Bobby Witt Jr SS
Erick Pena OF
Daniel Lynch LHP
Khalil Lee OF
Brady Singer RHP
Kris Bubic LHP
Jackson Kowar RHP
Kyle Isbel OF
Brewer Hicklen OF
Brady McConnell SS
Nick Pratto 1B
Jonathan Bowlan RHP
Michael Gigliotti OF
Yefri Del Rosario RHP
Wilmin Candelario SS

Honestly, this Kansas City system is sneaky good, especially in the top-10. Over the last few drafts, Kansas City has drafted Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, and Brady Singer who all have mid-rotation upside. If I had to invest in just one of them, I’d take Lynch. Also added in 2019 were the top-2 prospects in this system for me, Bobby Witt Jr and Erick Pena. Witt has a Trevor Story feel to him if he can improve his hit tool and Pena is an offensive beast waiting to happen. I’d recommend targeting Pena now before his price skyrockets. Finally, both Brewer Hicklen and Kyle Isbel are cheap speed targets.

Minnesota Twins

Royce Lewis SS
Alex Kirilloff OF/1B
Trevor Larnach OF
Misael Urbina OF
Jordan Balazovic RHP
Keoni Cavaco SS
Matt Wallner OF
Brent Rooker OF
Jhoan Duran RHP
Gilberto Celestino OF
Emmanuel Rodriguez OF
Akil Baddoo OF
Wander Javier SS
Gabriel Maciel OF
Matt Canterino RHP

Slowly but surely, Minnesota has turned into one of the top farm systems around. With two top-25 dynasty prospects leading the way, Minnesota boasts both top-end talent and plenty of depth. Both Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff are coming off down 2019 seasons for their standards, but I expect both to bounceback in 2020. Sneaking up on them is Trevor Larnach and his .280/30 upside. Another hitter creeping into the top-100 is Misael Urbina. I’m one of the highest around on him, but love his .280/15/30 upside. A highly-recommended dynasty target while his price is still fair. For pitchers, Brusdr Graterol is gone, but Jordan Balazovic and Jhoan Duran are on the rise and Matt Canterino is a sneaky-good FYPD target.

Houston Astros

Forrest Whitley RHP
Abraham Toro 3B
Freudis Nova SS/2B/3B
Jordan Brewer OF
Dauri Lorenzo SS
Tyler Ivey RHP
Colin Barber OF
Jeremy Pena SS
Bryan Abreu RHP
Jose Urquidy RHP
Luis Santana 2B
Yohander Martinez SS
Korey Lee C
Luis Garcia RHP
Cristian Javier RHP

This is a system trending in the wrong direction. In addition to graduating basically all of their top talent to the Major Leagues, Houston was penalized by MLB for stealing signs and will not have a first-round pick in 2020 or 2021. That’s a major blow, but they brought this upon themselves. However, let’s focus on the present. Forrest Whitley is coming off a disastrous 2019 where his command was all over the place, he was battling injuries, and Houston tried to get him to change his arm slot. All of that put together was the perfect storm. But we can’t forget that he’s still one of the most talented pitchers in the minors. If there’s any sort of buy low window in your dynasty league, pounce quick. Abraham Toro ranks #2 for me here, but to be honest, I’m not overly high on him long-term. Same with Jose Urquidy, although, he has some back-end SP value in 2020 re-draft leagues. A few that I am high on though and am targeting a lot in deeper dynasty leagues are Dauri Lorenzo, Jordan Brewer, and Tyler Ivey.

Los Angeles Angels

Jo Adell OF
Brandon Marsh OF
Jordyn Adams OF
Jeremiah Jackson MIF
Arol Vera SS
Alexander Ramirez OF
Kyren Paris SS
D’Shawn Knowles OF
Jose Soriano RHP
Trent Deveaux OF
Jahmai Jones 2B
Jack Kochanowicz RHP
Chris Rodriguez RHP
Patrick Sandoval LHP
Aaron Hernandez RHP

This Angels system is very slanted towards hitting talent. there re a few pitchers I’m targeting here like Jack Kochanowicz and Chris Rodriguez, but most of the desirable dynasty targets are on the offensive side of the ball. Obviously, the crown jewel is Jo Adell, my #2 overall dynasty prospect and the owner of 70-grade raw power. There’s little doubt in my mind that Adell is going to be a stud in this league and should be up by the end of May this season. Behind him is one of the most underrated prospects in the minors, Brandon Marsh. Marsh really impressed out in my live looks in the Arizona Fall League and has .275/15/25 upside with maybe 20 homers at peak. Jordyn Adams has higher upside than that with elite speed, but it incredibly raw at the plate. That same speedy but raw at the plate description can be used on Trent Deveaux as well. Two names to keep an eye on and buy now are Arol Vera and Alexander Ramirez.

Oakland Athletics

Jesus Luzardo LHP
Robert Puason SS
A.J. Puk LHP
Jorge Mateo MIF
Sean Murphy C
Austin Beck OF
Logan Davidson SS
Lazaro Armenteros OF
Dauton Jefferies RHP
James Kaprielian RHP
Greg Deichmann OF
Sheldon Neuse 3B
Nick Allen MIF
Luis Barrera OF
Jordan Diaz 3B

If you’re looking for 2020 value, you’ve come to the right place. Four of the top five and seven of the top-15 have 2020 ETAs or have already made their debut, headlined by southpaws Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk. Luzardo dominated down the stretch out of the bullpen for Oakland and has looked damn good so far in spring training. He has top-30 fantasy SP potential this season as Oakland’s #4 starter. Right behind him in the five spot is Puk who has nearly the same upside but a lower floor due to control issues. He’s also dealine with some shoulder soreness right now. At second base, Jorge Mateo could win the job with a strong showing this spring and has some nice speed potential while Sean Murphy enters the season as Oakland’s starting catcher. His offensive upside isn’t sexy, but a .280/15 season is within reach. The only member of the top-5 not set to debut in 2020 is shortstop Robert Puason who was one of the top three players from the 2019 J2 crop.

Seattle Mariners

Jarred Kelenic OF
Julio Rodriguez OF
Noelvi Marte SS
Logan Gilbert RHP
Evan White 1B
Jake Fraley OF
George Kirby RHP
Kyle Lewis OF
Justin Dunn RHP
Cal Raleigh C
Justus Sheffield LHP
Sam Carlson RHP
Brandon Williamson LHP
Jonatan Clase OF
Isaiah Campbell RHP

Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, thank you, good night! I’m kidding obviously as there’s a ton of top-notch talent in this system. Both Kelenic and Rodriguez have all-star upside, but the fun doesn’t stop there. Right behind them is Noelvi Marte and his 30/30 upside whom I project as a top-10 dynasty prospect by this time next season. Go out and get him if possible in your dynasty league. I can’t stress that enough. On the mound, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert give me all the tingles. Kirby is firmly on the rise with a solid arsenal and plus command and control while Gilbert is knocking on the door to being a top-10 pitching prospect overall. For 2020 re-draft leagues, keep an eye on Jake Fraley and Kyle Lewis in the late rounds and those in deeper leagues should consider Justin Dunn and Justus Sheffield.

Texas Rangers

Josh Jung 3B
Bayron Lora OF
Sherten Apostel 3B
Nick Solak 2B/OF
Cole Winn RHP
Luisangel Acuna MIF
Maximo Acosta SS
Leody Taveras OF
Bubba Thompson OF
Hans Crouse RHP
Heriberto Hernandez C/1B/OF
Sam Huff C
Jonathan Ornelas UTIL
Joe Palumbo LHP
Osleivis Basabe SS

There’s no elite talent here… yet. While there were no Rangers in my top-50 overall, there were a ton in my top-250 and plenty of names on the rise. Josh Jung is one of the best collegiate bats in the 2019 draft class and Bayron Lora one of the big-4 from the J2 crop. They lead the way in my rankings with the rising slugger Sherten Apostel and criminally underrated Nick Solak nipping at their heals. Cole Winn rounds out the top-5 and is a great buy-low target after a rough 2019. He’s much better than his 2019 numbers would indicate. Three upside prospects on the rise are Luisangel Acuña, Maximo Acosta, and Heriberto Hernandez.

Media Credit: Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire

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