Ah, the rookies. So young. So tender. So ridiculously coveted in fantasy baseball circles you would think that every single league is either a keeper or dynasty format. Everyone is still looking to be the person who unearths the next big thing and just like last season when all the hub-bub was swarming around Kris Bryant and Carlos Correa, this year brings its own crop of highly-touted, highly coveted youngsters. The following is a list of who we believe to be the Top-20 rookies who have the capability of making a significant impact on the 2016 fantasy baseball season.
| Player | Pos | Team | MLB ETA | Comments |
| Corey Seager | SS | LAD | OD | Watching this 21-year-old play the game right now is a real treat, but even if you haven't actually seen him on the field, just a cursory glance at his numbers will help you see that he could be someone special. It's not just the strong ISO totals which show you that he's capable of hitting for power without sacrificing average as much as it is the growth we've seen in his plate discipline as he's ascended through the Dodgers' farm system -- something most youngsters tend to struggle with as they move up the ladder. It all culminated for Seager during his first big-league call-up last year when he slashed .337/.425/.561 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 17 runs scored and two stolen bases over just 113 plate appearance while he posted a 12.4-percent walk rate and a 16.8-percent strikeout rate. Small sample size? Of course, but the minor league track record dictates that it's more than just an overachieving rookie. Add to it a return to shortstop so he doesn't have the distraction of learning a new position, and you've got the recipe for a potential NL Rookie of the Year season. |
| Kenta Maeda | SP | LAD | OD | While pitchers such as Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka projected as aces for MLB rotations, Maeda actually appears to be more of a No. 3-type starter given his low-90s fastball and success based more on his five-pitch arsenal and command rather than overpowering stuff. The trick for him is a combination of his arm angle and release point. His delivery mirrors that of Darvish in that it looks the same for each of his pitches, but his finish is more vintage Tim Lincecum in that his release point is lower, which actually gives the illusion of greater velocity. His success in the NPB has been longstanding as he won the Sawamura Award (Japan's version of the Cy Young) twice, first as a 22-year-old and then again five years later, and it should translate fairly well in the majors. Keep in mind, though, he wasn't much of a strikeout pitcher (he posted a career-best 8.09 K/9 in 2013) so expect average numbers in that department while he excels with his ratios. The Dodgers will consider him their No. 4 starter for now, but given the fact that he is the only right hander in the rotation, they may slot him differently just to break things up better. One final note: In Maeda's arsenal is the infamous "shuuto" so if any hitter in MLB picked up tips from Mr. Baseball, they could be in trouble. |
| Byron Buxton | OF | MIN | OD | Here's a name we've been reading about for a couple of seasons now and it looks like Buxton, who retains his rookie status for this season, has just as many skeptics now as he does fanboys. From the fanboy perspective, he's a center field rookie capable of banging 10-15 home runs while swiping roughly 30 bags, all the while hitting for a solid average. The skeptics, though, will remind you of his strikeout rates and his already extensive injury history. It seems tough to label a 22-year-old as injury-prone already, but they'll be quick to point out a broken finger in the AFL, a season-ending concussion and a wrist injury all of which put him on the shelf for an extended period of time. Considering his struggles at the plate during his call-up, there's a chance the Twins opt to start him off in the minors again, but with the trade of Aaron Hicks, they've certainly opened the door for him to start from Day 1. The skill set is definitely there. It's just a matter of wehther or not it's ready to blossom. With some luck, the extensive injury talk will help keep the price tag down. |
| Hyun-Soo Kim | OF | BAL | OD | There seems to be quite a bit to like about Kim who, at age 28, will make his MLB debut after mastering the KBO for nearly a full decade. Kim was a walk-on for the Doosan Bears years ago and worked his way up from the bottom to earn a starting job in their outfield. He's got fantastic plate discipline, as evidenced by his 101:63 BB:K last season, and was a career .318 hitter. The power isn't massive by any stretch of the imagination and most figure him to be, at best, a 15-20 home run guy. But what most people seem to like is his attitude. He's humble, he's team-oriented and is all about hustle. He is currently penciled in for the starting left field job this season and while he won't dazzle you with eye-popping numbers, he should be able to provide you with consistency that most fantasy owners appreciate from a fourth or fifth outfielder. |
| Steven Matz | SP | NYM | OD | After an incredibly successful 2015 campaign that culminated with a fantastic 35 2/3 inning big league appearance, the Mets already have the 24-year-old southpaw penciled in for a rotation spot to open the 2016 season. He showed excellent command of all four of his pitches and can drop that curve ball in as an out-pitch to easily mainatin the 8.58 K/9 he posted against big-league hitters. You can probably expect more of the same from him this season, but definitely keep in mind that he only threw 140 innings in total last year. With the way the Mets' young hurlers have suffered through arm injuries in recent years, you cannot expect him to throw more than 180 innings this season, if that much. Whether you're in a re-draft or a keeper league, you may want to consider that if you find yourself in contention by mid-season and start lookign for that Mets fan in your league who considers Matz a must-have. |
| Jose Berrios | SP | MIN | 2016 | If Berrios wasn't already on your radar, take a moment to understand the magnitude of Ray Flowers predicting a Rookie of the Year award for a 21-year-old who has thrown fewer than 80 innings at the Triple-A level. Ray has never been one to hype prospects, so his endorsement here should definitely mean something. There are two primary reasons to like Berrios for a 2016 impact -- his maturity and his command of his secondary offerings. His fastball hovers in the mid-90's, his curve (which some believe is more of a 'slurve') is strong and many actually believe his changeup is his best pitch of the three. The Twins love where this kid's head is at and he shows the poise of a seasoned veteran when he's pitching with runners on-base. His ability to pitch with deception and change speeds has allowed him to maintain a rate of just over a strikeout per inning and he's been able to do that at every level he's pitched. With the back-end of the Twins rotation looking as shaky as ever, his chances of earning and holding onto a spot seem pretty strong. The only thing you may have to worry about is the Twins desire to hold him back in the minors until the whole Super-2 status is cleared, but once he's up, he's going to be a very strong asset. |
| Tyler Glasnow | SP | PIT | early 2016 | Glasnow has been steadily climbing the prospect charts every year since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB Draft. And why wouldn't he? Who doesn't love a 6-foot-7 flamethrower who can consistently hit 99 mph on the gun and has shown significant year-to-year improvement on his command? Not to mention a consistent double-digit K/9 at each level he's pitched. He's been working on the consistency of his delivery recently and has improved his secondary offerings significantly enough that it looks like the Pirates won't have much choice but to get him into the rotation. Actually, his curveball has always looked sharp, but now his changeup is deceptive enough to pit against big league hitters on a regular basis. You can expect the Pirates to keep him in the minors long enough to maintain that extra year of control, but after the calendar flips to May, June at the latest, he should be up for good. Obviously, there's an innings cap concern and rightfully so, but if you can have him from June through August, you'll probably have done your fantasy rotation a tremendous service. |
| Jose Peraza | 2B | LAD | OD | The former Dodgers farm-hand was shipped off to the Reds as part of a three-team trade that saw Todd Frazier land on the south side of Chicago. He doesn't offer much of anything in the power department, but if the Reds can find him some regular at-bats, he does have decent 30-steal potential. Unfortunately, there are too many hurdles for him to climb in order to see any sort of regular playing time. |
| Joey Gallo | 3B | TEX | OD | He seems cut fairly too close to the Chris Davis mold for fantasy owners to be truly excited for his power here in the early years, but obviously the home run potential is so incredibly strong that everyone has stood up to take notice. With overall power on the decline and the number of high power/high strikeout players creeping their way in, Gallo certainly has the chance to break camp with the big club this spring should they have an opening for him to see regular at-bats. If your league doesn't penalize for strikeouts, then you can take the chance that he's more Kris Bryant than he is Chris Davis, but based on his whiff totals in the minors, the latter comparison, again, seems more applicable here. He's only 22 years old, so there doesn't appear to be a need to rush him, but if he continues to post these huge power totals in the minors, the team won't have much of a choice than to try and improve his batter's eye at the big league level. The fact that the Rangers have injury-prone players such as Josh Hamilton and Shin-Soo Choo at the corners makes his potential path to the bigs clearer, so if he does get assigned to Triple-A to open the year, he could be called upon as early as May. |
| Josh Bell | 1B | PIT | mid 2016 | Bell's minor league track record is far from extensive and just a glance at the numbers shows that while there is certainly power lurking (16 HR and 54 doubles over the last two seasons), he's not quite there yet to warrant a call-up in the first half of the season. The early plate discipline is strong and he does have strong bat speed, but it could be the relatively easy path to the majors that actually opens the door for him. Names like John Jaso, Jason Rodgers and Michael Morse adorn the Pirates' current depth chart at first base and while the experience factor tilts in their favor, none of them have posted numbers recently that would make you think Bell had little or no shot. On the contrary actually. If Bell can get off to a hot start at Triple-A, where we expect him to open, he could be in line for a mid-season call-up. While you may not see overwhelming power, especially with the dimensions of PNC Park working against him, you still may be able to see 15-20 home runs with strong averages and peripherals if he is brought up early enough. |
| Trea Turner | SS | WAS | OD | While we've grown to expect more and more teams to raid their farm system, the obvious question here is, "Can Turner produce enough with the bat to maintain a hold on the Nationals' starting shortstop gig?" Defensively, he's solid and projects as a slightly above-average shortstop with a good enough arm to make those plays deep in the hole. Offensively, though, there are some struggles and based on long-term projections and current expectations, his bat likely won't produce enough to keep many fantasy owners interested. His power, which is still in the developmental stage, will likely top off in the 8-10 homer range while his speed can probably bring 20 stolen bases to the table relatively soon. His plate discipline is also a work in progress, but he still manages a strong on-base percentage which can be attributed to his hard-contact numbers and ability to leg out a ground ball. The Nationals have him penciled in as their starting shortstop right now and it looks like he'll have the upper hand during spring training, but if his work at the plate suffers too much, the Nationals will likely have a veteran ready to step in should he be needed. |
| Lucas Giolito | SP | WAS | late 2016 | For a fan base that has been privy to the likes of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and more, you would think they would be a little more patient with Giolito's impending arrival. But with every high-90's fastball the 21-year-old right-hander blows by some hapless minor league batter, the clamoring gets louder and louder. For right now, though, Gioito is, more or less, just a two-pitch pitcher. His fastball, which has clocked in triple-digits, is massive and his curve is already considered a plu-pitch. He is still, however, fine-tuning his changeup to give him more of a chance to fool hitters at the big league level. Rarely does a young two-pitch pitcher find long-term success. He did seem to struggle a bit with his promotion to Double-A last season which is likely where he will start off the year. From there, it shouldn't be long before the Nationals have him throwing in Triple-A with their sights set at a second-half promotion. Because of the Nationals' relatively stacked rotation, the team isn't likely to be in a big rush to bring him up. He's not going to be one to draft, but definitely someone on whom to keep tabs throughout the first half and from there, make that savvy waiver claim to secure him right before the call-up. |
| Blake Snell | SP | TB | late 2016 | The 6-foot-4 southpaw has looked impressive during his short time as a professional and after his meteoric rise through the minors in 2015, the expectations continue to grow. He opened last year at High-A and proceeded to go on a 21 scoreless inning streak that then stretched out to 46 innings while he cruised through the Double-A level. His command wasnt always consistently sharp, but his secondary offerings were strong enough that even without high-heat (his fastball averaged 91 mph), he was able to maintain a double-digit K/9 even at Triple-A. By year's end, he finished with a collective 1.41 ERA and 10.95 K/9 over 134 innings which landed him the 2015 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year award. With just 44 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level, it seems very likely that the Rays will start him there and watch to see if he can maintain that level over a longer period of time -- in part to keep the free agency clock from ticking, but also just to be sure as they've struggled with a number of their pitching prospects, mostly from an injury standpoint. If he can prove himself again early, the Rays may consider him for a mid-season promotion depending on how things go, but keep in mind that as of right now, the Rays' rotation is at least five deep and if all stay healthy and successful, Snell might just hang back until super late in the year. |
| Nomar Mazara | OF | TEX | late 2016 | Expecting Mazara to make an impact at the big league level in 2016 might be a bit of an overshoot, but his raw skillset and performance at the lower levels in the minors at least dictate some consideration at this point. As a 17-year-old in the Arizona Rookie Legaue, the lefty-swinging outfielder showed solid power development and while he struck out nearly 30 percent of the time, he also posted a 15.2-percent walk rate over 243 plate appearances which displayed the potential for an improving batter's eye. He cut the whiffs down in 2014 while still maintaining an above-average walk rate and continued his ascent through the Rangers' system, closing out the season as a 19-year-old in Double-A. That was where he began his 2015 campaign and after showing even more improvement, was promoted to Triple-A which is where he is expected to open the 2016 season. If he can continue to show the steady improvement, the Rangers could consider adding him late in the year, depending on the condition of their current outfield configuration and, obviously, the Rangers' positioning for the playoffs. He's still incredibly young with much to learn, but should the team continue to see the growth in his overall plate discipline, a test against big-league hurlers won't be too far off. |
| JP Crawford | SS | PHI | late 2016 | The Phillies already love his defensive work and believe his continued improvements with his range and arm could have him up for at least a cup of coffee in the bigs. Offensively, the team believes he could, once he fills out and gets closer to his physical prime, find the 15-home run level, but for now, they'll focus on his plus-speed and on-base skills. He spent most of last season at Double-A where, in 405 plate appearances, walked more than he struck out and hit five home runs with 54 runs score and seven stolen bases. Given his overall skillset and obvious comfort level with facing Double-A pitching, the Phillies may just start him at Triple-A and let him force a call-up at some point. The path to the big league middle infield isn't exactly blocked by major-league stalwarts, so with the team likely to remain in a rebuilding mode all year, the chance to work Crawford in the bigs is more than just a possibility. He's not someone to draft outside of deep keeper/dynasty leagues, but if you're looking for a late-season speed addition, he could be just what the doctor orders in August and September. |
| Jorge Polanco | SS | MIN | late 2016 | Talk about a fast-track to the majors, Polanco was actually summoned directly from High-A ball thanks to his impressive defense and consistent ability to get on base. He only started one game and had just eight plate appearances before being sent back down, but he was shuttled up to Double-A soon after to finish the season against stronger pitching. He opened the 2015 campaign at Double-A and showed he had nothing left to prove, so he was again bumped up a level and eventually found his way into another late-season call-up to the Twins. There isn't a whole lot of power of which to speak, but his on-base skills and 20-steal potential, coupled with his defense, should keep him on the shuttle back and forth between Minnesota and Rochester early in the year. And depending on how things shake out with the big club's questionable shortstop depth, he could land a permanent spot on the 25-man roster at some point in the second half. |
| A.J. Reed | 1B | HOU | mid 2016 | Originally drafted as a pitcher by the Mets in the 25th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, Reed's blossoming power forced the move to first base and the outfield in order to develop his bat and not worry about potential elbow and shoulder problems. He showed some nice plate discipline when he was assigned to the Arizona Fall League after the 2014 season and responded to the learning experience by dominating at both the High-A and Double-A levels in 2015. In fact, he slashed a combined .340/.432/.612 with 34 home runs and 127 RBI over 523 at-bats with a walk rate close to 13 percent and a routine 20 percent strikeout rate. The Astros are probably going to want him to open the year at Triple-A before letting him loose, but considering the struggles of Jonathan Singleton, the Astros could be in the market for a first baseman. Look for Singleton's leash to be short and should Reed display both the power and plate discipline in Triple-A, he could be summoned just after the Super-2 deadline. |
| Archie Bradley | SP | ARI | mid 2016 | Despite the injuries and the struggles we've witnessed over the last couple of seasons, it seems foolish to give up on a guy who has the raw skillset of Bradley, no matter how frustrated he may make you. He's a big power-pitcher, standing 6-foot-4 and can throw in the mid-90's consistently. That and his ability to drop his impressive curveball in there as an out-pitch has even garnered comparisons to a vintage Justin Verlander. What he needs to complete the package is stronger command and a much better changeup to throw in a third pitch. The additions of Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller have obviously made the path to a rotation spot a little tougher, but certainly not impossible. And names such as Rubby De La Rosa, Chase Anderson and Robbie Ray certainly don't seem like insurmountable obstacles. Recency bias will certainly keep his Draft Day cost down, but there's no need to jump until you have a better idea as to when he will land in Arizona full-time. |
| Trayce Thompson | OF | LAD | late 2016 | While the White Sox have been cultivating that power/speed combo of Thompson's in the minors for the last few years, the opportunity to acquire a talent as strong as Todd Frazier could not be denied. Thompson heads to the Dodgers as part of a three-team deal where he will likely spend much of the year at their Triple-A affiliate waiting for big contract veterans like Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier to get hurt. Unless he puts together a spring that forces the Dodgers' hands, he is not someone to target in 2016 drafts. You can certainly keep an eye on him as a potential waiver claim, but while he may see a cup of coffee in September, his true arrival should come in 2017. |
| Mark Appel | SP | PHI | late 2016 | The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft had struggled during his ascension in the Astros organization and an appendectomy back in 2014 made things even worse as it caused a serious dip in his velocity that took virtually the entire season to regain. The 2015 season saw a return to the strikeout rate the team was expecting, but the rest of his numbers remained very pedestrian. When the Astros got the chance to acquire closer Ken Giles, they were good to part with Appel who not only seemed destined to stay in Triple-A, but was still considered to be quite the project. The Phillies will hold him in the minors as well, but perhaps the change of scenery and a new pitching coach can bring out the raw talent that made him a top pick. |