The Top 50 Rookies for Fantasy

Rookie players in Major League Baseball either can warm your heart or turn it blacker than coal. For every Jose Abreu who challenges for the MVP award there is a Jon Singleton who strikes out almost 40% of the time and looks lost at the plate. As we enter a new season, hope springs eternal for the Freshman Class of ’15 — a large collection of overachievers (at least until now) that could make or break your upcoming fantasy season, much like Abreu (who was celebrated for his achievements) and Singleton (despised for his) by respective owners.

Below, you’ll find the annual FG+ rankings of the potential top rookies at each position — based on their potential to impact in 2015 in a vacuum, and without considering future seasons or ultimate ceilings. Enjoy, and may your rookies’ 2015 contributions be more Abreu than Singleton.

Catchers

1. Andrew Susac, Giants: As it currently stands, Susac is blocked by 2012 National League MVP Buster Posey at the catcher position. However, the athletic veteran has been seeing more time at first base, a trend that should continue (and grow) in 2015 as the organization looks to keep Posey healthy and in the line-up. Susac, soon to be 25, doesn’t get a ton of press but he’s turned into a solid defender with a good bat for a catcher. He should be able to hit double-digit home runs with regular playing time.

2. Jorge Alfaro, Rangers: Alfaro is always going to swing and miss a fair bit due to his aggressive approach but he offsets that with plus raw power and can even steal the odd base. The Rangers’ projected big league catching duo — Robinson Chirinos and Tomas Telis — is far from established so there is a solid chance that the rookie backstop could see significant playing time in the second half of the year, despite having just 21 games of experience above A-ball.

3. Christian Bethancourt, Braves: Bethancourt has a chance to log a lot of innings behind the plate but his value is tied more to his defence than his offence. As a result, he’s going to be more important to Braves fans than fantasy managers. However, expectations are low for catchers — especially when you play in deep leagues or ones with more than a single starting catcher so there might be some situations where a player with a low strikeout rate and some gap power can come in handy. It’s the power aspect that gives him the edge over fellow D-first catching prospect Austin Hedges.

4. Blake Swihart, Red Sox: Swihart may be the best catching prospect in the minors, and he’s certainly in the top three. The switch-hitter’s 2015 value is hurt, though, because he projects to need another half season, if not the entire year, of seasoning in the upper minors to let his defence catch up to his bat. The club also seems committed to giving defensive specialist Christian Vazquez, who lost his rookie eligibility in 2014, a fair shot to prove he can play everyday. Swihart is a little aggressive at the plate but has always hit for a good average and showed improved pop last year.

5. Austin Barnes, Dodgers: One of the keys to Barnes’ fantasy value will be his ability to play a number of positions, including catcher and second base. His ability to back up Yasmani Grandal and A.J. Ellis is key given the injuries that have been suffered by the pair in past seasons. Barnes produces a high on-base average and has walked more than he’s struck out in his career, which also helps him hit for a solid batting average. Despite standing 5-9, he shows solid gap pop and can even run a little bit (11 steals in 15 tries in 2014).

The Next Three: Kevin Plawecki, Mets; Austin Hedges, Padres; James McCann, Tigers

First Basemen

1. D.J. Peterson, Mariners: Peterson played in some strong hitting environments in 2014 but any time a player hits 30+ home runs in his first full season it’s worth noting (and worth getting a little excited). The former first rounder played the majority of his games in the minors at third base, but most projections have him sliding over to first base at the big league level. The versatility gives him some additional value. Current first baseman Logan Morrison has struggled with his consistency (and also to stay healthy) so it may not be hard for Peterson to weasel his way into some playing time after a few months of further minor league seasoning.

2. Maikel Franco, Phillies: Franco’s 2014 numbers don’t look very impressive but he rebounded well from a dreadful start to the season and he’s just one year removed from a 30+ home run season. Like Peterson, Franco has spent more time at third base in the minors but his future is at first base. The big problem for the Phillies rookie is the presence of Ryan Howard and his bloated contract. The good news for Franco owners is that the Phillies have committed to a rebuilding phase and the organization is reportedly willing to eat money to move the veteran first baseman.

3. Josh Bell, Pirates: The bad news is that the Pirates have a two-time 30+ home runs man at first base. The good news is that Alvarez is a left-handed hitter that can’t hit southpaws and Bell has the benefit of being a switch-hitter. With just 24 games of experience above A-ball, the first base prospect will need at least half a year of further seasoning in the minors but that might be just enough time for the Pirates to tire of the massive strikeout rates and modest overall production from Alvarez. Bell has further value thanks to his ability to also play the outfield.

4. Christian Walker, Orioles: Walker’s name doesn’t come up often when discussing top prospects but he’s shown the ability to hit for both average and power from the right side of the plate. He also split the 2014 season between Double-A and Triple-A so he’s nearly MLB ready while both incumbent first basemen, Chris Davis and Steve Pearce, come with question marks. Walker could end up being a Lyle Overbay type of producer at first base.

The Next Two: Greg Bird, Yankees, Travis Shaw, Red Sox

Second Basemen

1. Jose Peraza, Braves: Peraza has the chance to be the most valuable, at least from a fantasy perspective, due to his ability to steal a ton of bases — as witnessed by the 124 bags swiped in the past two seasons. He also puts a lot of balls in play and has hit everywhere that he’s played — including a .339 average in 110 games split between High-A and Double-A in 2014. With much of the in-house second base depth dealt away during this past off-season, it looks like Peraza will be the Braves’ second baseman before the end of the July.

2. Rob Refsnyder, Yankees: The Yankees don’t often have holes on their big league roster and they also don’t often hand starting jobs to prospects — especially lesser known ones that don’t come wbith a ton of hype. That could chance in 2015, though, if Refsnyder opens the year as New York’s starting season baseman — although Stephen Drew is going to be given every opportunity to be that guy. Refsnyder has hit quite a bit in the minors but his modest defence — and time spent in the outfield — has, at times, clouded his future at the keystone. The bat might be too much to ignore, though… especially if Drew stumbles. Even if he doesn’t win the job, though, the rookie could see time as an offensive-minded utility man.

3. Devon Travis, Blue Jays: The off-season trade that saw Travis move from Detroit (an organization that favors veterans) to Toronto (an organization that has a huge hole at second base) did wonders for Travis’ 2015 value. He’ll likely open the year in Triple-A but the projected combination of Maicer Izturis, Munenori Kawasaki, and Ryan Goins is bound to get old… and fast. Travis has solid pop for someone standing 5-9, he can steal some bases, gets on base and has hit for average.

4. Dilson Herrera, Mets: As it stands, Daniel Murphy will be the Mets’ opening day starter at second base. However, he’s been mentioned in trade rumours about once a week over the past two seasons so it stands to reason that a job might pop up at the keystone any moment. Waiting in the wings is Herrera, a prospect that can hit for average (although he strikes out a bit too much at times) and gap power — as well as steal some bags. He’s the sleeper in the group and could surprise a lot of people.

The Next Three: Alen Hanson, Pirates; Sean Coyle, Red Sox; Tony Kemp, Astros

Third Basemen

1. Kris Bryant, Cubs: Given enough playing time, Bryant could have the biggest impact of any rookie in 2015. He may not have the kind of freshman campaign that the more advanced Jose Abreu had for the White Sox in 2014, but he does have that kind of potential. Luis Valbuena is gone now, and Bryant has a chance to break camp with the team. If not at the start of the year, look for the young slugger to arrive in Chicago around June.

2. Kyle Kubitza, Angels: Kubitza isn’t a well-known name but he could end being a solid fantasy third baseman given his ability to hit for a few home runs, steal bases and get on base at a strong clip — despite high strikeout totals. His move in the off-season from the Braves to the Angels gives him a more clear path to a big league job, although it may not come until later in 2015. With incumbent third baseman David Freese’s 2012 season looking like an outlier, there really isn’t much standing in Kubitza’s way, other than his own personal development pace and management’s willingness to trust a rookie on a perennial-playoff-caliber team.

3. Miguel Sano, Twins: Sano was poised to be a rookie of the year candidate in 2014 but a season-ending injury put a halt to those plans. He’ll likely need further minor league seasoning to shake off the rust and prove his elbow is sound, but incumbent third baseman Trevor Plouffe is a modest producer and starting to get more expensive for the Twins — a budget-conscious club. If Plouffe continues to build upon his improved 2014 campaign, though, Sano, 21, could still see time in The Show at first base and/or designated hitter, especially if Kennys Vargas struggles in his sophomore campaign. Once he settles in, and if he makes enough contact, Sano has 30-40 home run potential.

4. Yasmany Tomas, D-Backs: Tomas has the potential to challenge Rusney Castillo in Boston for the mantle of latest-hottest-Cuban player in the big leagues in 2015. Curiously, though, the Diamondbacks currently have him earmarked for third base. He projects to be average-at-best defensively at that position and the club already has a strong young third base prospect in Jake Lamb. And a Tomas in LF/Lamb at 3B combo has the potential to be more potent than a Tomas/David Peralta or Ender Inciarte matchup. Tomas should be fairly advanced for a rookie in 2015 but don’t expect Jose Abreu or Yasiel Puig levels just yet.

5. Jacob Lamb, D-Backs: As alluded to directly above, Lamb’s 2015 value is likely tied to Yasmany Tomas and his defensive home. Lamb isn’t a massive slugger but he has enough pop to make things interesting and he also has the potential to help with his batting average, as well as get on base at a solid clip. It’s possible that Arizona could find Lamb another home in the field but that would weaken the Diamondbacks defensively. Lamb has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor in 2015 but his value is extremely volatile right now as the off-season winds down.

The Next Two: Colin Moran, Astros; Joey Gallo, Rangers

Shortstops

1. Addison Russell, Cubs: A key acquisition from the A’s in the Jeff Samardzija deal last year, Russell has shown the ability to hit for average and power, as well as steal bases. Chicago has some well documented roster jams in the infield but few doubt that Russell will settle in as the everyday shortstop by mid-2015, likely shifting Starlin Castro to second base — or another club as the organization looks to improve upon its pitching depth, and also has to find a place for both Kris Bryant (3B) and Javier Baez to play (2B?). Russell should also dazzle with the glove but that’s not going to help fantasy managers.

2. Francisco Lindor, Indians: Lindor has gotten lost in the fantasy shuffle recently because his tools aren’t as loud as some of the other young shortstops, as well as the fact that he derives significant value from his glove. However, the young shortstop arrived in Triple-A in just his third full season and has been a steady performer at the plate with a respectable average and increased home run pop in 2015 giving him the chance to hit 10+ home runs a season in the majors. Add in 20-30 steals a year and you have a solid contributor. Fellow youngster Jose Ramirez currently stands in Lindor’s way but the latter’s defence is enough of an edge that it’s hard to envision the former holding on the job for the entire year.

3. Corey Seager, Dodgers: The Dodgers have potential holes at both shortstop and third base for 2016 and both positions will be manned in 2015 by veteran players entering the twilights of their careers in Jimmy Rollins (SS) and Juan Uribe (3B). A shortstop by nature, Seager should eventually move over to third base as his range diminishes but he may be able to stick at the position for a few years, depending on whom else LA brings onto the roster. Just 20, he put up unreal numbers in 2014 while splitting his time between A-ball and Double-A. He slugged 20 homers, 50 doubles and hit .349. Brother Kyle Seager is a nifty little player in Seattle but Corey should be an absolute monster for the Dodgers once he gains traction in the Majors.

4. Deven Marrero, Red Sox: This 2012 first rounder’s career to date can be best described as steady-but-unspectacular. He hasn’t really shown an ability to consistently hit for average or power but he did improve his gap strength last year and does steal some bases. He also helps his on-base percentage by taking a healthy number of walks. And the defence is solid. In reality, Marrero probably doesn’t have to tools to push aside a Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts or Dustin Pedroia — but he could help another club in need of a average-ish shortstop who won’t cost much to fill the hole for the next five or six years. Look for him to eventually help Boston obtain some veteran pitching.

The Next Two: Hak-Ju Lee, Rays; Tim Anderson, White Sox

Outfielders

1. Jorge Soler, Cubs: Signed the same year as Yasiel Puig, the less refined Soler has needed minor league seasoning but he’s now expected to seize the Cubs’ right-field gig in 2015 and beyond. He’s an explosive player with 30 home run potential and the ability to hit for a nice batting average. However, he’s also been injury prone (and suspension prone) in his short pro career in North America and has yet to appear in more than 86 games in a season since 2012. He’ll be a solid player to have on your fantasy squad in 2015 but you’ll also want to have a solid fill-in option.

2. Rusney Castillo, Red Sox: Castillo is expected to be the next big thing in Cuban baseball players after getting a brief taste of pro ball in 2014. He’ll likely battle young phenom Mookie Betts for playing time — or the two of them could push the aging Shane Victorino out of the outfield picture in Boston. Already in his prime baseball years at the age of 27, he’s expected to product strong numbers while hitting for average with double-digit home runs and 20-30 steals. Really, though, Castillo will remain an enigma until we see more of him in 2015, and his potential will no doubt tantalize fantasy managers.

3. Joc Pederson, Dodgers: With Matt Kemp now out of the picture in Los Angeles, Pederson has a clear shot at the opening day centerfield gig. There isn’t much that Pederson can’t do: He’s shown an ability to hit for average and power, while stealing bases. He’s already been a 30-30 (home runs-steals) in the upper minors and he’s only 22 years old. Did I mention he walked 100 times at the Triple-A level… and significantly improved his platoon splits? The strikeouts will probably be high but the trade off potential is immense, especially with a veteran lineup that should afford him a significant amount of protection.

4. Steven Souza, Rays: The Rays soured on Will Myers and parted ways with the former top prospect during the offseason. In a related move, the club brought Souza in from Washington to handle right field in 2015. Blocked from regular playing time, he’ll now be able to relax in spring training knowing it’s his job to lose. Drafted all the way back in 2007, Souza will spend much of the year as a 26-year-old rookie so he’s more developed than a lot of freshman players. He should get on base at a good clip and has the potential to be a 20-20 player in his prime. Which should come quickly.

5. Dalton Pompey, Blue Jays: Pompey enjoyed a meteoric rise through the Jays’ system in 2014 by opening the year in A-ball and ending in the Majors. Along with a strong glove in centerfield, the Canadian-born player has shown the ability to steal a lot of bases (with an excellent success rate) and hit for a strong average. He’s also getting stronger and has the raw potential to hit double-digit home run totals. With a big question mark in centre for the Jays entering 2015 (thanks to the trade of Anthony Gose to Detroit), Pompey is the early favorite for the job, although both Kevin Pillar and a healthy Andy Dirks could eat into that time.

The Next Seven: Mikie Mahtook, Rays; Michael Taylor, Nationals; Jesse Winker, Reds; Hunter Renfroe, Padres; Byron Buxton, Twins; Teoscar Hernandez, Astros; Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals

Right-Handed Starters

1. Noah Syndergaard, Mets: The hard-throwing Syndergaard is nearly ready to crack the Mets starting rotation. His biggest obstacle is the depth of arms ahead of him — especially with the imminent return of Matt Harvey. Pitching most of 2014 at the age of 21, Syndegaard survived the potent, offence-driven Pacific Coast League. When he’s at his best, the 6-6, 240-pound beast generates both ground balls and strikeouts. The young arm is a highly-sought-after trade commodity but the Mets would have to be wowed by a deal to part with him. As a result, he’s likely to open the 2015 season back in Triple-A and will have to wait for the inevitable injuries to start rolling in.

2. Anthony DeSclafani, Reds: DeSclafani doesn’t have a huge ceiling but he proved last year that he can survive at the big league level. Currently, he’s more of a back-end starter but he has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter if he can polish his repertoire, which should also allow him to chase a few more strikeouts. He spent much of his college career in the bullpen. Even with the trade of Mat Latos, the Reds have a lot of starting pitching depth so DeSclafani will have to be on his game in spring training to earn a spot on the staff.

3. Aaron Nola, Phillies: The Phillies’ new-found youth movement should only help encourage the club to consider giving a shot to this fast-moving, polished 2014 first round pick. Nola will likely open the 2015 season in Double-A and might need up to a half season of seasoning. A trade of Cole Hamels could expedite things. Nola likely won’t pile up the strikeouts as a big leaguer but he should get his fair share while throwing strikes and providing innings. He’ll need to keep the ball in the yard more consistently after giving up eight home runs in just 55.1 pro innings.

4. Braden Shipley, D-Backs: Shipley isn’t flashy but he’s a solid sleeper because of his outstanding athleticism. As a college two-way player (pitcher and hitter), he didn’t focus solely on pitching until turning pro so there is even more upside there. More good news exists for Shipley owners as the Diamondbacks’ current starting rotation looks a little bit like a dog’s breakfast despite the efforts to improve the staff. If he gets off to a strong start in Double-A, he could be solidified in the majors by July.

5. Eddie Butler, Rockies: The general consensus amongst prospect analysts is that fellow Rockies top prospect Jon Gray will be the better hurler but the overall talent gap isn’t huge and Butler’s ground-ball-heavy approach is better suited to pitching at Coors Field. He struggled with his command in his first taste of big league action and also needs to show that he’s healthy after hitting the DL for an extended period in 2014. He should also generate swing and misses thanks to his good moving fastball.

6. Matt Wisler, Padres: The Padres made a lot of moves in the offseason but top pitching prospect Wisler remains and the rotation still has enough question marks (including lots of health issues) to envision the young hurler receiving plenty of innings in 2015. He has always generated a solid number of strikeouts but he also started generating more ground-ball outs in 2014, which makes him all the more promising. He has the ceiling of a number two or three starter who is capable of providing a ton of innings.

7. Dylan Bundy, Orioles: Tommy John surgery slowed Bundy’s ascent through the minors but he looked good at times in 2014 and just needs to regain his consistency. Baltimore was pretty quiet on the free agent and trade fronts during the offseason so the front office will have to count on in-house options like this young right-hander when injuries and poor performances rear their ugly heads. Bundy has front-line potential.

8. Alex Meyer, Twins: This 6-9 giant spent the 2014 pitching at the Triple-A level and fanned 153 batters in 130.1 innings. Unfortunately, he also issued 64 free passes, which is why he has yet to see big league action. The Twins want their pitchers to throw strikes but Meyer has a higher ceiling than any other pitcher found at the big league level for the Twins so he’ll no doubt be one of the first pitchers recalled in 2015.

The Next Eight: Mark Appel, Astros; Luis Severino, Yankees; Rafael Montero, Mets; Alex Gonzalez, Rangers; Mike Foltynewicz, Braves; Jon Gray, Rockies; Michael Lorenzen, Reds; Raisel Iglesias, Reds

Left-Handed Starters

1. Andrew Heaney, Angels: A fun thing happened to Heaney on the way to the 2015 season. He was traded from a club with an impressive depth within the starting rotation to a club desperate for, well, any kind of future really. The near-MLB-ready southpaw became not only the best pitching prospect in the Angels organization but also the best prospect overall — and quite possibly the club’s fifth starter for 2015. Heaney isn’t flashy but he has the stuff — and moxie — to become a mid-rotation hurler capable of chewing up innings.

2. Marco Gonzales, Cardinals: Like Heaney, Gonzales isn’t flashy. His best weapon is his changeup, followed by his above-average control. He’s certainly not going to win Cardinals fans’ hearts over like fellow young hurler Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez did — with the cheese. The club’s depth will likely keep Gonzales from opening the year in the starting rotation but he has little left to prove in the minors so he could conceivably open the year in the bullpen, similar to what Martinez did in 2014 while awaiting his opportunity. The young Cardinals lefty has a chance to be relevant in NL-only leagues but he’s not a mixed league type of guy at this point.

3. Julio Urias, Dodgers: This Mexico native is still a teenager, but he’ll open the 2015 in Double-A and could see the majors before his 19th birthday in August. It’s scary how good he is at such a young age but there are a couple of things to be cautious of. Firstly, at 5-11, he’s not a physical specimen by any means and the organization has been cautious in his development. As such, he has yet to break 100 innings in a full season and that will likely be around his max (100-120) in 2015 so it puts a bit of a damper on his potential big league impact on the second half of 2015. The good news is that the Dodgers rotation features some injury-prone dudes so the opportunity should present itself (more than once) for Urias to pitch in The Show at the age of 18.

4. Henry Owens, Red Sox: The big league club definitely lacks all-star calibre veteran arms in the starting rotation but the organization boasts crazy-good depth, which may work against Owens in 2015. With that said, few arms can match his upside so if the club is in the playoff hunt, the temptation to promote him may be too strong to ignore. The left-hander split the 2014 season between Double-A and Triple-A and he should return to the upper reaches of the minors to open 2015. If his control holds up, though, the 6-6 giant could be in Boston before June ends.

5. Carlos Rodon, White Sox: The third overall selection in the 2014 draft, Rodon is an advanced college product who should be established in the majors by the end of the summer. The addition of Jeff Samardzija to the starting rotation in Chicago complicates things to a degree for the young southpaw but Hector Noesi is projected to be the club’s fifth starter at the beginning of the year and, well, he’s not really all that good. If Rodon can command his plus-plus slider, he has a chance to be a real weapon for the new-look Sox down the stretch and (possibly) into the playoffs.

6. Daniel Norris, Blue Jays: Norris was a quick mover in 2014 thanks, in part, to improved command. The lefty pitched at four pro levels, beginning in A-ball and ending in the Majors. He’ll likely open 2015 back in Triple-A but the lack of bullpen improvements could keep fellow high-ceiling prospect Aaron Sanchez in the bullpen, which could eventually open up the fifth spot in the starting rotation to Norris. He lacks consistency and command at times, but he has the raw ability to be a number two starter — and there isn’t currently much standing in his way of seizing a big league rotation spot. Offseason elbow surgery may slow him to a mid-season callup.

The Next Five: Brandon Finnegan, Royals; Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox; Manny Banuelos, Braves: Justin Nicolino, Marlins; Robbie Ray, Tigers

Relief Pitchers

1. Aaron Sanchez, Blue Jays: Sanchez could also be listed under the starters but he had a lot of success in the bullpen at the big league level in 2014 and the Jays have yet to improve their bullpen as time ticks down to spring training. He’s also still working to improve his command and the Jays have a decent number of starting options even without him. Add that all up and it could mean a repeat performance in the bullpen for the promising hurler. Even he does end up in the ‘pen, it would like mean he’s going to see high leverage innings… and that in turn means saves.

2. Cam Bedrosian, Angels: Moving to the bullpen worked wonders for Bedrosian in 2014 as he opened the year in A-ball but ultimately appeared in 17 big league games. He struggled in the majors but it’s not a shock given where he started the year. When he’s going strong, Bedrosian is capable of generating a ton of strikeouts (82 in 45 minor league innings in ’14) and a plethora of ground balls. A lot will have to go wrong for the Angels in 2015, though, for the rookie to see save opportunities.

3. Corey Knebel, Rangers: The Tigers seemingly overpaid for veteran reliever Joakim Soria in 2014 and it was to the Rangers benefit. One of those pieces, Knebel, could see key innings in the ‘pen in 2015. He reached the majors in his first full season in pro ball after being selected in the supplemental first round of the 2013 draft. Knebel, 23, just needs to polish his command/control to realize his full potential as a high-leverage reliever.