Top 20 Fantasy Baseball Prospects for 2014 Still in the Minors

Nov 2, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher

(right) and Los Angeles Angels pitcher

against the West during the Fall Stars Game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 2014 baseball season has started, and if you are like many baseball fans, you probably have a fantasy baseball team or two. I have put together my 20 best fantasy baseball prospects for this season who will open the season in the minor leagues and have yet to make their debut in the big leagues. This is not an order of who will have the better career, but instead who will provide the most value this season.

20) Hunter Morris – 1B – Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers Opening Day depth chart at first base show Mark Reynolds and Lyle Overbay. Morris has three consecutive minor league seasons of at least 20 home runs, but last year at Triple-A his average dropped to .241 after hitting .303 in 2012 at Double-A. The left-handed hitting first baseman could offer an interesting power bat option at some point this season.

19) Brian Goodwin – OF – Washington Nationals – Goodwin has a light five-tool mix, with his best attribute being pure speed. He has a bright future in center field, but his biggest potential value in fantasy baseball in 2014 is as a late season steals option in roto leagues. Goodwin has been thrown out in nearly a third of his attempts in his minor league career, but if he improves on his jumps from first, his natural speed could lead to good steals numbers as early as this season.

18) Cory Knebel – RP – Detroit Tigers – Knebel is not all that highly touted a prospect, based mainly on the fact he was drafted as a pure college reliever. He came out of the University of Texas and looks to take fellow Longhorn, Huston Street‘s, path to the big leagues. After being drafted 39th overall in the 2013 draft, Knebel allowed just three earned runs in 31 innings in the Midwest League. The Tigers signed Joe Nathan this off-season, but he is in his age 39 season, and Bruce Rondon will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, so Knebel might get a shot in late innings this season, but it won’t be until late as he will open the year in Double-A.

17) Joc Pederson – OF – Los Angeles Dodgers – Pederson is not the 17th best prospect on this list, he is more talented than some players ahead of him, but he is in a Dodgers organization that has four starting-caliber outfielders already on the roster and a solid back-up option in Scott Van Slyke already in the big leagues. If the Dodgers outfield suffers the injuries they did last season, or they trade one of the top four, Pederson could get some good playing time and put up solid fantasy numbers, it just doesn’t appear the playing time will be there for him this season to put up significant numbers.

16) Jesse Biddle – SP – Philadelphia Phillies – Biddle struck out 154 batters over 138.1 innings in Double-A in 2013 and put up an ERA of 3.64, but had a win-loss record (I know, terrible stat but it matters in fantasy baseball) of 5-14. Roberto Henandez is currently listed as the number four starter for the Phillies, and their depth chart does not list a fifth starter as of now. Biddle will not be a dominant pitcher, but he cold serve as a competent fourth or fifth starter by mid-season, and could rack up the strikeouts.

Feb 21, 2014; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Matthew Wisler (75) poses for a photo during photo day at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

15) Matt Wisler – SP – San Diego Padres – If you watched Wisler pitch against the Cleveland Indians the other day, you will probably avoid him like the plague. He managed just one inning and gave up seven earned runs, but that will prove to be the exception, not the rule. Wisler typically has pinpoint control, averaging just over two walks per nine innings. The Padres starting rotation is far from loaded Wisler could find himself in the Padres rotation by mid-to-late season.

14) Eddie Butler – SP – Colorado Rockies – In six starts at at Double-A to finish the 2013 season, Butler put together a WHIP of just 0.69. His career opponents batting average is under the Mendoza Line and has posted a K/9 of just over 8. He possesses a fantastic change to go with a hard slider and a fastball that sits in the mid-90s. Butler could pair with Jonathan Gray (who will be featured later on) to create a 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation the likes of which Rockies fans have never seen before, and it could happen this season.

13) Jonathan Singleton – 1B – Houston Astros – Singleton served a 50-game suspension in 2013 after a second positive test for marijuana, and proceeded to struggle the rest of the season. He played 90 games while hitting .230 with 11 home runs. Even with the poor season with the bat, he managed a .356 on-base percentage showing his advanced approach at the plate. Singleton could be up as early as May, and he should provide a solid OBP with some power, but his ability to hit for average might hurt a fantasy team, as will his high strikeout rate.

12) Noah Syndergaard – SP – New York Mets – Mets fans can’t wait for the 2015 rotation that will feature Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, and Matt Harvey. Harvey will miss the entire season after undergoing off-season Tommy John Surgery, and Syndergaard with start the year in the minors, but the 6’6″ 240 lbs. 21-year old should make his debut sometime around the All-Star break. He features a three pitch mix with plus control that has led him to a 4.75 K/BB rate. The Mets offense may not be pretty, but their pitching staff will be fantastic for years to come, and Syndergaard could make a fantastic addition to a fantasy rotation this year.

11) Maikel Franco – 3B – Philadelphia Phillies – Franco will start the season in the minor leagues while Cody Asche will get the chance to open the season as the third baseman. Franco has undeniable power, 31 home runs in 2013, while still hitting for a good average, .281 in four minor league seasons. Franco is a future middle-of-the-order bat, but may have to wait a while to get there. Once he does get called up he will be valuable, there is just no telling how long until the Phillies give him the call.

Mar 18, 2014; Surprise, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs shortstop

(70) follows through on a swing against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

10) Javier Baez – SS – Chicago Cubs – Baez is the top prospect is arguably the best system in all of baseball. The shortstop prospect has decent enough speed, a cannon arm, hits for a good average, and one of the best power bats in all the minor leagues. His defense at short could use some work, but his overall game is so good Starlin Castro has recently come out and said he would be open to moving off the position to open up a spot for Baez. Time will tell how long the Cubs wait to call up their top prospects, but once Baez is called up, he should be special.

9) Alex Meyer – SP – Minnesota Twins – Lost in all the talk about Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton is a massive starting pitcher with a massive fastball. The 6’9″ Meyer has touched triple digits with his fastball several times and has a minor league career K/9 rate of 10.4. His delivery could use some ironing out as his long frame does allow too many walks, 3.3/9, and there have been some questions as to whether or not he can stick long term as a starter. Lucky for fantasy owners the long term doesn’t matter, as once Meyer gets called up, the strikeouts should come with him.

8) Marcus Stroman – SP – Toronto Blue Jays – Another pitcher whose role has been questioned based on size is Marcus Stroman, but for a very different reason than Alex Meyer. Stroman is a full foot shorter than Meyer, just 5’9″, but he manages to still pitch with a good downhill plane and strikes out batters at nearly five times the rate he walks them. The Blue Jays are widely believed to finish in the cellar of the AL East, but Stroman could certainly help lead a fantasy team to victory.

7) Jonathan Gray – SP – Colorado Rockies – Gray was briefly mentioned when I highlighted Eddie Butler as he could be the Rockies number one with Butler a potential future number two. There is no better fastball in all the minor leagues than Jonathan Gray. He routinely hits triple digits on the gun, and does so with solid command. He can follow up the fastball with one of the better sliders in the minors and a change that is coming along. He started nine games over two levels, including five in the hitter friendly California League, where he posted and ERA of 0.75, WHIP of 0.67, opponents average of .128, and struck out 13.5 batter per nine innings. He would be an easy top five selection if his home ballpark was anywhere other than Coors Field.

6) Andrew Heaney – SP – Miami Marlins – Coming into the spring, there was some buzz that Heaney could be this year’s Jose Fernandez and be a surprise inclusion on the Opening Day roster. While he did not make the squad out of camp, in fact will likely open the season in Double-A, he should be in the bigs before too long. The left-handed starter has a plus fastball and slider that have led to a near strikeout per inning in his minor league career. Once he gets the call to join the Marlins, he will be pitching in an absolutely massive ballpark, and could put up solid numbers. His stuff is not as dominant as the three pitchers that were just listed, but he could be the first of the four to make his debut.

Feb 27, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder

(62) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

5) Alexander Guerrero – 2B – Los Angeles Dodgers – When the Dodgers shelled out $28 million over four years, it seemed certain he would be the Opening Day second baseman for the team with the highest payroll in baseball. Once in camp, questions arose regarding whether or not Guerrero’s approach at the plate and defense were big league ready, and so Dee Gordon and Justin Turner open the season in a platoon at second base. For a team that expects the World Series this year, a Gordon/Turner platoon is far from what they envisioned at second base, so it shouldn’t be long until Guerrero gets the call. Guerrero will not light up any one category, but he should hit well enough at a shallow position that he will be incredibly valuable in fantasy this season.

4) Archie Bradley – SP – Arizona Diamondbacks – Another player that was expected to break camp with the big league team was Archie Bradley. Instead got hit hard by Team Australia when in Sydney, and it became clear he wasn’t quite ready. The Diamondbacks do expect to compete in the division, and have lost staff ace Patrick Corbin to Tommy John Surgery, so Bradley will likely be called up pretty quickly. His ERA and WHIP probably won’t be dominant in his first season, but he has a minor league career K/9 of almost 10, and should be able to put up solid numbers.

3) Oscar Taveras – OF – St. Louis Cardinals – Injuries are the only reason Tavares is still even on this list. Had I done this list 12 months ago, he probably would have landed in a similar spot, but an ankle sprain that caused him to miss time on three separate occasions and eventually required surgery delaying his debut. He starts the season back in the minors, but Tavares is a hitting machine and should be up with the defending NL champs early this season.

2) George Springer – OF – Houston Astros – Most would consider Springer the top fantasy prospect in the minors for this season, and they just may be right, but I have him second. Springer was three home runs shy of having a 40/40 season in the minors in 2013, but went without a September call-up and will start the season at Triple-A. The Astros offered him a contract before the season, but negotiations stalled and Springer was eventually sent down. Springer is now suing the Astros with the belief he was sent down because he did not sign the contract. The suit will in all likely hood be dropped, but it leaves me with enough concern to leave him second on the list.

1) Gregory Polanco – OF – Pittsburgh Pirates – Gregory Polanco is coming off a winter ball season in the Dominican that earned him MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. This comes after a minor league season where he stole 38 bags and hit 12 home runs as he received two promotions and ended the season in Triple-A. Polanco starts the year back in the minors, with Travis Snider and Jose Tabata sharing the load in right field for the Pirates. Polanco could be a May call up, and should offer production in all five categories of a traditional roto league.