RotoWire Roundtable: Top 200 Prospects

RotoWire Roundtable: Top 200 Prospects

This article is part of our RotoWire Roundtable series.

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, many dynasty leagues have already drafted. But for those who are still looking for a leg up while restocking the farm before the 2015 season gets underway, we have a brand new feature at Rotowire just for you: the first annual Top-200 Prospect Rankings Roundtable.

The Roundtable features my most recent top-200 prospect rankings along with those from Derek VanRiper and Clay Link, which combine to produce a composite top-200 that is more complete and essential than any list I could put together by myself. This should be viewed as a master list for dynasty league owners heading into the 2015 season.

RankPlayerPOSTeamJamesDerekClayMedian
1 Kris Bryant 3B Cubs 1 1 1 1
2 Byron Buxton OF Twins 2 2 2 2
3 Addison Russell SS Cubs 4 4 3 4
4 Carlos Correa SS Astros 3 6 4 4
5 Corey Seager SS Dodgers 5 3 5 5
6 Miguel Sano 3B Twins 7 5 7 7
7 Joey Gallo 3B Rangers 8 7 6 7
8 Jorge Soler OF Cubs 9 9 8 9
9 Yoan Moncada SS/2B Red Sox 13 10 9 10
10 Noah Syndergaard RHP Mets 6 11 11 11
11 Joc Pederson OF Dodgers 15 8 12 12
12 Lucas Giolito RHP Nationals 11 12 13 12
13 Julio Urias LHP Dodgers 12 15 10 12
14 Dylan Bundy RHP Orioles 10 13

Others Receiving Votes (in order of highest ranking):Avery Romero, Brent Honeywell, Spencer Adams, Duane Underwood, Michael Gettys, Brian Johnson, Jace Peterson, Socrates Brito, Jomar Reyes, Randal Grichuk, Mac Williamson, Jhoan Urena, Tim Cooney, Dominic Smith, Nick Tropeano, Kyle Kubitza, Nick Howard, Trey Ball, Stephen Gonsalves, Yoel Mecias, Jose Martinez, Enny Romero, Garin Cecchini, JaCoby Jones, J.T. Realmuto, Cole Tucker, Jorge Lopez, Chris Bostick, Leonardo Molina, Steven Fuentes, Amir Garrett, Carson Sands

Considering how abstract the process of ranking prospects is, there was more variance in these rankings (especially outside the top-75) than there typically is in the Top-350 Roundtable we produce for single-season leagues. For this reason, each ranker got to pick a few players they were most bullish on to make a case (in their own words) for why that player belongs higher on the list. Each ranker was also given the chance to rain on the parade of a player who was ranked noticeably higher in the composite rankings than on that ranker's personal list.

Players We Were Highest On:

James Anderson:
Noah Syndergaard, RHP
James' rank: 6
Median rank: 11

"A gap of five spots may not seem like a lot, but it should be noted that both DVR and Clay had Syndergaard ranked No. 11 exactly, while conversely I see the case to take him ahead of hitters like Miguel Sano, Joey Gallo and Jorge Soler. This seems like an important philosophical question worth addressing. In general, I'm all for taking the hitter over the pitcher when compiling a prospect roster in a dynasty league. My teams reflect this notion, as 70 percent of my rostered minor leaguers are hitters. However, Syndergaard is a special case. I had him ranked as my top pitching prospect for dynasty leagues heading into last season, and now that he is very close to being a part of the Mets' rotation, that notion is even more amplified. While Tommy John surgery is always a risk, there are also risks with the three sluggers I ranked behind him. All hitting prospects are not created equally, just like all power pitchers are not destined for TJ in their first few years in the big leagues."

Steven Souza, OF
James' rank: 23
Median rank: 48

"I have Souza ranked 112 (19 spots behind Jorge Soler and 33 spots ahead of Joc Pederson) on my overall big board for 2015. So it only makes sense that I rank him highly in this exercise. In all likelihood, more than half the prospects ranked in the top-50 will never appear in the top-150 in my major league ranks, but this is a feat Souza has already accomplished. Whether he lives up to that ranking is to be determined, but even the most pessimistic projection system (ZiPS) has him hitting 15 homers and stealing 16 bases, which is a ridiculously high reasonable floor for a player's rookie season. Soler and Pederson are consensus top-15 fantasy prospects, in large part because they will be in their respective team's lineups on Opening Day, but this is also something Souza can claim. I would still take Soler and Pederson over Souza in dynasty leagues, but there should not be a huge gap between the three outfielders."

Raimel Tapia, OF
James' rank: 50
Median rank: 73

"Tapia has a plus-plus hit tool that sometimes gets underreported because his swing does not look like a classic great hitter's swing, but the numbers tell the story. His .326 average in 122 games as a 20-year-old at Low-A Asheville last season does not impress me nearly as much as the 16.7 percent K-rate he posted. Most hitters with his tools have a good deal of swing-and-miss in their game when they are that young, but Tapia's ability to make good contact is extreme. Skeptics may point to his .383 BABIP and his favorable hitting conditions last year in the Sally League, but he will have the ultimate favorable conditions if he remains a member of the Rockies organization. His potential hit, power and speed grades all surpass those of Charlie Blackmon, and yet Blackmon was able to post a monster fantasy season last year, in large part because he called Coors Field home. I can't wait to see what the talented young outfielder accomplishes in 2015."

Derek VanRiper:
Blake Swihart, C
Derek's rank: 28
Median rank: 49

"The challenging thing for me with prospect rankings is that I've had few opportunities to see many players first hand, in many cases, I haven't seen the player live at all. In those instances, I'm forced to trust the evaluations of others, use video, etc. Age to level is key here for me, as catchers typically take longer to develop, and the power spike in 2014 evokes Jonathan Lucroy comparisons given Swihart's already-polished defensive ability. Lucroy was always under the radar as a prospect, and is even still undervalued in many ways, but it seems less likely that Swihart will be overlooked as Top 50 rankings are the norm for him and he's cracked the Top 20 for the editors at Baseball America too."

Jesse Winker, OF
Derek's rank: 22
Median rank: 37

"I saw Winker in the Arizona Fall League, and he looked like the most complete hitter of the 100 or so positions players I had the chance to watch. Considering that he's only 21, I am optimistic that the plus raw power he offers will begin to show up more consistently in games. He doesn't have the speed of Christian Yelich, but Winker should adjust to big league pitching very quickly, and Great American Ball Park should help his cause in the home-run department too, even if he ends up being more of a .290-.300 guy with 16-18 HR annually instead of 20-25. Winker also strikes me as a player who gets docked in his scouting grade because he doesn't run well or grade out as more than an adequate defensive left fielder, so it would not surprise me at all if he ends up being a player with more roto value than real-life value."

Orlando Arcia, SS
Derek's rank: 62
Median rank: 113

"What I like most about Arcia is that he's shown very good plate discipline for his age (20) at Low-A and High-A over the past two seasons while facing older competition. Defensively, he's staying at short, and he'll already be playing at Double-A to begin 2015. His best years as a big league hitter may be seasons when he hits 8-10 homers, but offers 30-35 steals and racks up a ton of runs scored as a top-of-the-order tablesetter, and it's still possible that his plus speed will translate to higher stolen-base totals if he can learn to read pitchers more effectively and improve his success rate. It's surprising to me that Arcia isn't currently considered the best prospect in the Brewers' system."

Clay Link:
Luis Severino, RHP
Clay's rank: 23
Median rank: 55

"Severino was brilliant across three levels last season at age 20, and the combination of strikeouts (combined 10.1 K/9 in 2014) and groundballs (1.71 GO/AO in minors) should lead to tremendous success at the major league level. While not as tall as your prototypical ace (6-foot), he does have a strong, sturdy frame, which lends hope to him being able to consistently hold up to a starter's workload. His fastball is plus, and his slider and changeup are already both above-average offerings. Although still just 21, Severino isn't as far away from reaching the majors as one might think."

Nick Williams, OF
Clay's rank: 68
Median rank: 95

"Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of concerns with Williams. He flails away at offspeed and breaking pitches far too often, resulting in high strikeout rates, and he doesn't walk much at all. However, his raw tools are virtually unparalleled in the minor leagues right now, and he had an .834 OPS at High-A last season against competition that was (on average) nearly three years older than him. The tools alone should be enough for him to at least carve out a decent MLB career, and the chance he refines his approach and taps into his true potential was enough to warrant a top-70 spot for me."

Albert Almora, OF
Clay's rank: 61
Median rank: 79

"His strikeout rate jumped more than four percent with the move from High-A to Double-A last season (from 11.9 percent to 16.0 percent), but Almora has been able to maintain his aggressive approach without striking out a lot at each of his previous stops. The pedigree is there, and Almora has flashed his potential with the major league club this spring, going 8-for-21 with three doubles in 14 games. Perhaps the power will not develop as much as some scouts expect, and it's possible his real-life value will outweigh his fantasy utility, but his offensive skill set and defensive ability will make him an everyday player at the major league level in time."

Players We Were Lowest On:

James Anderson:
Tyler Glasnow, RHP
James' rank: 31
Median rank: 19

"Sorry if I'm not blown away that a 6-foot-7 pitcher with a plus-plus heater and the ability to spin a breaking ball was able to put up gaudy numbers at High-A. This was one small step toward him becoming an ace, yet he's already getting treated like a surefire No. 1 starter in a lot of dynasty leagues. By all accounts, the changeup lags significantly behind the fastball and curveball, and he has failed to spend more than five innings at a professional level without posting a walk rate above 11.5 percent. He is by no means doomed, but he will require a little more patience than I think fantasy owners are anticipating. Take a guy like Robert Stephenson, who could have matched Glasnow's 2014 numbers if he was pitching at High-A last year, but instead he was facing more advanced competition at Double-A, and he struggled. If everything clicks, Glasnow could be a borderline SP1 in fantasy leagues due to the high strikeout totals, but there are still several developmental hurdles for him to clear before we start having that conversation."

Mark Appel, RHP
James' rank: 80
Median rank: 47

"My ranking inside the top-100 is more than fair given what we've seen (or not seen) from Appel so far. We obviously can't close the book and say there's no way he reaches his ceiling as No. 2 starter in fantasy, but I also don't think we should act like that is an inevitability. Aaron Nola, Matt Wisler, Jake Thompson and Eduardo Rodriguez all have similar ceilings with much fewer questions surrounding their ability to reach that potential. In my entire top-200, my ranking of Appel has the potential to look the worst by season's end, but I just haven't seen enough sustained production to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point."

C.J. Edwards, RHP
James' rank: 135
Median rank:88

"I've covered this before in various places, but again it comes down to durability and size for me. These two things are related when we're talking about Edwards, and I'm very concerned that he will end up in the bullpen. He's another guy I could be dead wrong about, because when he's out there, the production is usually pretty excellent. However, on only 12 occasions since 1990 has a pitcher who was at least 6-foot-3 (Edwards' height) and weighed less than 171 pounds (Edwards is listed at 170) been able to pitch at least 162 innings in a season."

Derek VanRiper:
Clint Frazier, OF
DVR's rank: 105
Median rank: 52

"Frazier has a lot of raw ability, but I am scared off at the present time by his struggles to make contact consistently (161 strikeouts in 474 at-bats in the Midwest League last year). The tools are intriguing, but Bradley Zimmer seems more likely to put it all together if I am projecting their long-term values (both could be great). Depending on the make-up of a group of prospects already in tow in a dynasty league, there is a case to be made that Zimmer should be taken over lower-ceiling players like Albert Almora and Brandon Nimmo, or players closer to contributing for their clubs like Maikel Franco and Steven Moya."

Dan Vogelbach, 1B
DVR's rank: 197
Median rank: 82

"Vogelbach showed impressive pop during an AFL batting practice session that I watched, but he looks like a DH stuck in a National League organization. I wasn't thrilled by the quality of his at-bats in the game that I saw, and while small sample size caveats apply to watching a player go to the plate four times, it's what I'm left to pair with what are (in my opinion, at least) disappointing power numbers in the Florida State League last season. Swaggy V is a player I really want to like, but I'm just not seeing the long-term value here in the current combination of tools and performance."

Alex Guerrero, TBD
DVR's rank: Not ranked
Median rank: 88

"The lack of a position for Guerrero is a major deterrent for me, though in fairness, my rankings skewed toward long-term value and dynasty settings more than 2015 contributions. He'd be a top 30-40 prospect for redraft leagues, but that the Dodgers couldn't find a way to utilize him beyond three games in the outfield in 2014 really scares me. That they made a point to acquire Howie Kendrick after unloading Dee Gordon to the Marlins, rather than make their $28 million man the starting second baseman, also speaks volumes about their evaluation of him. There is an opportunity for Guerrero somewhere in the big leagues, and his numbers around the Miguel Olivo incident at Triple-A Albuquerque were great, but would anyone be excited about him given his age, where he played last year, and the lack of a defensive position if he were born in Connecticut instead of Cuba?"

Clay Link:
J.P. Crawford, SS
Clay's rank: 52
Median rank: 38

"Crawford's a fine player, but the 24 combined stolen bases last year are deceiving -- I don't think he has the speed to steal 20-plus bags in the majors -- and the second-half power surge seems fluky as well. Seven of his eight home runs with High-A Clearwater came at Clearwater's home park, Bright House Field, which is one of the more homer-friendly parks in the Florida State League. The plate discipline is exceptional for a 20-year-old, but even with the glaring hole at short in Philadelphia, I don't see Crawford being an option for the big club before late 2016 or maybe even 2017."

Dalton Pompey, OF
Clay's rank: 54
Median rank: 39

"While proximity did weigh heavily in my rankings, I still could not justify pumping Pompey any higher than No. 54. His rise through the Blue Jays' system was remarkable, and the speed is great, but there's virtually no power to speak of and his 66.7 percent contact rate in the majors last season was troubling. Granted, that was in a very small sample (43 plate appearances), and he's enjoyed success so far this spring (.310 average) but Pompey will have his ups and downs this season, and long-term, I'm not sure he's much more than a two-category roto option."

Micah Johnson, 2B
Clay's rank: 108
Median rank: 77

"A ninth-round pick in 2012, Johnson has been able to maintain respectable strikeout rates as he's progressed through the minors, and he can draw a walk, but there's simply not a lot of upside outside of stolen bases. He is able to use his great speed to maintain high BABIPs, but he's still only hit above .275 at one stop above Low-A and that was a highly anomalous .329 mark in a 37-game stint at Double-A a season ago. His OPS fell nearly 200 points with the move up to Triple-A last year (from .880 to .684). Like with Pompey, the power is lacking, and the lower-body issues he dealt with last season concern me a bit for a player whose game is predicated on his ability to run."

Please feel free to submit any player-specific questions in the comments section or at us directly on Twitter: @RealJRAnderson, @DerekVanRiper, @claywlink.

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, many dynasty leagues have already drafted. But for those who are still looking for a leg up while restocking the farm before the 2015 season gets underway, we have a brand new feature at Rotowire just for you: the first annual Top-200 Prospect Rankings Roundtable.

The Roundtable features my most recent top-200 prospect rankings along with those from Derek VanRiper and Clay Link, which combine to produce a composite top-200 that is more complete and essential than any list I could put together by myself. This should be viewed as a master list for dynasty league owners heading into the 2015 season.

RankPlayerPOSTeamJamesDerekClayMedian
1 Kris Bryant 3B Cubs 1 1 1 1
2 Byron Buxton OF Twins 2 2 2 2
3 Addison Russell SS Cubs 4 4 3 4
4 Carlos Correa SS Astros 3 6 4 4
5 Corey Seager SS Dodgers 5 3 5 5
6 Miguel Sano 3B Twins 7 5 7 7
7 Joey Gallo 3B Rangers 8 7 6 7
8 Jorge Soler OF Cubs 9 9 8 9
9 Yoan Moncada SS/2B Red Sox 13 10 9 10
10 Noah Syndergaard RHP Mets 6 11 11 11
11 Joc Pederson OF Dodgers 15 8 12 12
12 Lucas Giolito RHP Nationals 11 12 13 12
13 Julio Urias LHP Dodgers 12 15 10 12
14 Dylan Bundy RHP Orioles 10 13 14 13
15 Carlos Rodon LHP White Sox 17 14 15 15
16 Francisco Lindor SS Indians 16 16 16 16
17 Archie Bradley RHP Diamondbacks 24 17 17 17
18 Rusney Castillo OF Red Sox 14 44 18 18
19 Tyler Glasnow RHP Pirates 31 18 19 19
20 David Dahl OF Rockies 20 19 24 20
21 Kyle Schwarber C/OF Cubs 22 21 27 22
22 Nomar Mazara OF Rangers 19 32 22 22
23 Daniel Norris LHP Blue Jays 25 23 21 23
24 Braden Shipley RHP Diamondbacks 27 25 25 25
25 Jon Gray RHP Rockies 30 26 20 26
26 Andrew Heaney LHP Angels 26 53 26 26
27 Tim Anderson SS White Sox 21 35 28 28
28 Hunter Harvey RHP Orioles 29 39 29 29
29 Sean Manaea LHP Royals 28 80 30 30
30 Aaron Judge OF Yankees 32 33 31 32
31 Hunter Renfroe OF Padres 33 31 39 33
32 Jameson Taillon RHP Pirates 34 24 34 34
33 Yasmany Tomas 3B/OF Diamondbacks 44 30 35 35
34 Jose Berrios RHP Twins 35 54 32 35
35 Robert Stephenson RHP Reds 43 27 36 36
36 Jesse Winker OF Reds 37 22 38 37
37 Jose Peraza 2B Braves 18 61 37 37
38 J.P. Crawford SS Phillies 38 34 52 38
39 Dalton Pompey OF Blue Jays 39 29 54 39
40 Henry Owens LHP Red Sox 36 55 40 40
41 Steven Matz LHP Mets 41 40 43 41
42 Alex "Chi-Chi" Gonzalez RHP Rangers 40 69 42 42
43 Michael Taylor OF Nationals 42 47 41 42
44 Aaron Sanchez RHP Blue Jays 46 38 44 44
45 D.J. Peterson 3B/1B Mariners 53 46 45 46
46 Jorge Alfaro C/OF Rangers 47 50 33 47
47 Mark Appel RHP Astros 80 43 47 47
48 Steven Souza OF Rays 23 90 48 48
49 Blake Swihart C Red Sox 49 28 49 49
50 Manuel Margot OF Red Sox 51 48 50 50
51 Marco Gonzales LHP Cardinals 48 52 56 52
52 Clint Frazier OF Indians 52 105 46 52
53 Matt Olson 1B A's 54 45 53 53
54 Luis Severino RHP Yankees 55 57 23 55
55 Josh Bell 1B Pirates 62 51 55 55
56 Alex Meyer RHP Twins 45 70 57 57
57 Alex Jackson OF Mariners 70 20 59 59
58 Aaron Nola RHP Phillies 59 42 83 59
59 Matt Wisler RHP Padres 60 41 69 60
60 A.J. Cole RHP Nationals 61 77 51 61
61 Rymer Liriano OF Padres 63 64 58 63
62 Stephen Piscotty OF Cardinals 65 65 76 65
63 Ryan McMahon 3B Rockies 67 81 65 67
64 Jake Thompson RHP Rangers 74 58 67 67
65 Alexander Reyes RHP Cardinals 68 111 64 68
66 Eduardo Rodriguez LHP Red Sox 66 68 110 68
67 Raisel Iglesias RHP Reds 56 73 70 70
68 Daniel Robertson SS Rays 71 66 94 71
69 Aaron Blair RHP Diamondbacks 73 56 77 73
70 Raimel Tapia OF Rockies 50 89 73 73
71 Raul Mondesi SS Royals 75 36 74 74
72 Kohl Stewart RHP Twins 81 74 66 74
73 Maikel Franco 3B/1B Phillies 64 97 75 75
74 Micah Johnson 2B White Sox 77 60 108 77
75 Miguel Almonte RHP Royals 78 79 60 78
76 Joe Ross RHP Nationals 83 76 78 78
77 Albert Almora OF Cubs 79 95 61 79
78 Dan Vogelbach 1B/DH Cubs 82 197 81 82
79 Rafael Devers 3B Red Sox 69 83 87 83
80 Franklin Barreto SS A's 57 84 86 84
81 Dilson Herrera 2B Mets 84 59 85 84
82 Michael Lorenzen RHP Reds 76 167 84 84
83 Reynaldo Lopez RHP Nationals 87 112 71 87
84 Billy McKinney OF Cubs 58 88 96 88
85 C.J. Edwards RHP Cubs 135 67 88 88
86 Alex Guerrero 3B/OF/2B Dodgers 88 NR 63 88
87 Jeff Hoffman RHP Blue Jays 89 125 80 89
88 Grant Holmes RHP Dodgers 86 109 90 90
89 Austin Meadows OF Pirates 104 37 91 91
90 Greg Bird 1B Yankees 72 94 92 92
91 Brandon Finnegan LHP Royals 92 72 124 92
92 Alen Hanson 2B/SS Pirates 105 93 93 93
93 Gabriel Guerrero OF Mariners 94 118 72 94
94 Nick Williams OF Rangers 95 96 68 95
95 Hunter Dozier 3B Royals 96 98 62 96
96 Eddie Butler RHP Rockies 97 100 79 97
97 Luke Jackson RHP Rangers 98 75 103 98
98 Devon Travis 2B Blue Jays 110 92 98 98
99 Nick Gordon SS Twins 100 87 99 99
100 Jorge Mateo SS Yankees 101 103 120 103
101 Bobby Bradley 1B Indians 102 181 104 104
102 Michael Conforto OF Mets 103 145 106 106
103 Marcos Molina RHP Mets 106 165 97 106
104 Tyler Kolek RHP Marlins 114 107 95 107
105 Bradley Zimmer OF Indians 107 82 133 107
106 Steven Moya DH/OF Tigers NR 104 107 107
107 Jake Lamb 3B Diamondbacks 108 91 117 108
108 Keury Mella RHP Giants 85 136 109 109
109 Alex Colome RHP Rays 109 168 102 109
110 Pierce Johnson RHP Cubs 111 116 101 111
111 Renato Nunez 3B A's 112 122 100 112
112 Orlando Arcia SS Brewers 133 62 113 113
113 Lucas Sims RHP Braves 124 113 111 113
114 Rob Kaminsky LHP Cardinals 119 114 112 114
115 Trea Turner SS Nationals 152 49 115 115
116 Touki Toussaint RHP Diamondbacks 115 108 116 115
117 Vincent Velasquez RHP Astros 120 115 105 115
118 Roberto Osuna RHP Blue Jays 117 78 125 117
119 Brandon Nimmo OF Mets 141 99 118 118
120 Rio Ruiz 3B Astros 118 137 114 118
121 Michael Chavis 3B/2B Red Sox 122 142 122 122
122 Mike Foltynewicz RHP Braves 130 71 123 123
123 Ryan Brett 2B Rays 123 119 131 123
124 Ian Clarkin LHP Yankees 116 179 126 126
125 Erick Fedde RHP Nationals 177 126 127 127
126 Francisco Mejia C Indians 125 128 150 128
127 Tyler Beede RHP Giants NR 124 128 128
128 Clint Coulter OF Brewers 139 129 119 129
129 Miguel Castro RHP Blue Jays 113 131 132 131
130 Braxton Davidson OF Braves 134 195 82 134
131 Luis Ortiz RHP Rangers 128 135 144 135
132 Kyle Zimmer RHP Royals 160 102 137 137
133 Colin Moran 3B Astros 149 138 136 138
134 Giovanny Urshela 3B Indians 90 200 140 140
135 Brandon Drury 3B Diamondbacks 91 175 141 141
136 Gary Sanchez C/DH Yankees 165 141 138 141
137 Blake Snell LHP Rays 161 134 142 142
138 Eddie Rosario 2B/OF Twins 158 117 143 143
139 Justin Williams OF Rays 144 121 156 144
140 Gleyber Torres SS Cubs 143 144 191 144
141 Travis Demeritte 2B Rangers 121 161 145 145
142 Ketel Marte SS Mariners 138 185 146 146
143 Alex Verdugo OF Dodgers 162 146 147 147
144 Wilmer Difo 2B Nationals 147 187 130 147
145 Nick Kingham RHP Pirates 148 169 89 148
146 Edwin Diaz RHP Mariners 136 193 148 148
147 Taylor Guerrieri RHP Rays 167 132 149 149
148 Willy Adames SS Rays 150 63 165 150
149 Derek Hill OF Tigers 151 123 172 151
150 Robert Refsnyder 2B Yankees 137 NR 151 151
151 Tyrone Taylor OF Brewers 153 140 169 153
152 Magneuris Sierra OF Cardinals 154 120 192 154
153 Kyle Freeland LHP Rockies NR 110 154 154
154 Monte Harrison OF Brewers 131 154 NR 154
155 Lewis Brinson OF Rangers 146 163 155 155
156 Ozhaino Albies SS Braves 155 NR 121 155
157 Forrest Wall 2B Rockies 142 156 NR 156
158 Anthony DeSclafani RHP Reds 93 NR 157 157
159 James Ramsey OF Indians 157 NR 162 157
160 Jack Flaherty RHP Cardinals 145 166 158 158
161 Nathan Karns RHP Rays 132 171 160 160
162 Kodi Medeiros LHP Brewers 169 162 163 163
163 Derek Fisher OF Astros 140 194 167 167
164 Lewis Thorpe LHP Twins 164 180 168 168
165 Frankie Montas RHP White Sox 178 130 170 170
166 Rafael Montero RHP Mets NR 170 134 170
167 Kyle Crick RHP Giants NR 172 139 172
168 Austin Wilson OF Mariners 174 164 181 174
169 Trevor Williams RHP Marlins 171 189 174 174
170 Chance Sisco C/DH Orioles 175 143 200 175
171 Sean Nolin LHP A's 126 NR 175 175
172 Andrew Susac C Giants 176 151 177 176
173 Casey Kelly RHP Padres 183 176 171 176
174 Manny Banuelos LHP Braves 129 NR 176 176
175 Michael Kopech RHP Red Sox 172 177 183 177
176 Gilbert Lara 3B Brewers 198 127 180 180
177 Dillon Overton LHP A's 181 149 187 181
178 Max Fried LHP Padres 187 106 182 182
179 Domingo Santana OF/DH Astros 182 184 129 182
180 Roman Quinn OF Phillies 191 183 135 183
181 Sean Newcomb LHP Angels 184 101 188 184
182 Brett Phillips OF Astros 159 196 185 185
183 Justus Sheffield LHP Indians NR 173 186 186
184 Amed Rosario SS Mets 188 85 194 188
185 Kevin Plawecki C Mets 196 188 173 188
186 Jairo Labourt LHP Blue Jays NR 191 189 191
187 Patrick Kivlehan 1B/3B Mariners NR 174 198 198
188 Ben Lively RHP Phillies 190 NR 178 190
189 Nick Longhi OF Red Sox 179 NR 190 190
190 Teoscar Hernandez OF Astros 186 192 193 192
191 Wendell Rijo 2B Red Sox 193 186 NR 193
192 Peter O'Brien C Diamondbacks 195 157 NR 195
193 Darnell Sweeney 2B/SS Dodgers 192 NR 195 195
194 Tyler Austin OF Yankees 185 NR 196 196
195 Devin Williams RHP Brewers 173 198 NR 198
196 Adrian Rondon SS Rays 199 86 NR 199
197 Tyler Anderson LHP Rockies 166 199 NR 199
198 Jung-Ho Kang SS/3B/2B Pirates 99 NR NR NR
199 Kendall Graveman RHP A's 127 NR NR NR
200 Luiz Gohara LHP Mariners NR 133 NR NR

Others Receiving Votes (in order of highest ranking):Avery Romero, Brent Honeywell, Spencer Adams, Duane Underwood, Michael Gettys, Brian Johnson, Jace Peterson, Socrates Brito, Jomar Reyes, Randal Grichuk, Mac Williamson, Jhoan Urena, Tim Cooney, Dominic Smith, Nick Tropeano, Kyle Kubitza, Nick Howard, Trey Ball, Stephen Gonsalves, Yoel Mecias, Jose Martinez, Enny Romero, Garin Cecchini, JaCoby Jones, J.T. Realmuto, Cole Tucker, Jorge Lopez, Chris Bostick, Leonardo Molina, Steven Fuentes, Amir Garrett, Carson Sands

Considering how abstract the process of ranking prospects is, there was more variance in these rankings (especially outside the top-75) than there typically is in the Top-350 Roundtable we produce for single-season leagues. For this reason, each ranker got to pick a few players they were most bullish on to make a case (in their own words) for why that player belongs higher on the list. Each ranker was also given the chance to rain on the parade of a player who was ranked noticeably higher in the composite rankings than on that ranker's personal list.

Players We Were Highest On:

James Anderson:
Noah Syndergaard, RHP
James' rank: 6
Median rank: 11

"A gap of five spots may not seem like a lot, but it should be noted that both DVR and Clay had Syndergaard ranked No. 11 exactly, while conversely I see the case to take him ahead of hitters like Miguel Sano, Joey Gallo and Jorge Soler. This seems like an important philosophical question worth addressing. In general, I'm all for taking the hitter over the pitcher when compiling a prospect roster in a dynasty league. My teams reflect this notion, as 70 percent of my rostered minor leaguers are hitters. However, Syndergaard is a special case. I had him ranked as my top pitching prospect for dynasty leagues heading into last season, and now that he is very close to being a part of the Mets' rotation, that notion is even more amplified. While Tommy John surgery is always a risk, there are also risks with the three sluggers I ranked behind him. All hitting prospects are not created equally, just like all power pitchers are not destined for TJ in their first few years in the big leagues."

Steven Souza, OF
James' rank: 23
Median rank: 48

"I have Souza ranked 112 (19 spots behind Jorge Soler and 33 spots ahead of Joc Pederson) on my overall big board for 2015. So it only makes sense that I rank him highly in this exercise. In all likelihood, more than half the prospects ranked in the top-50 will never appear in the top-150 in my major league ranks, but this is a feat Souza has already accomplished. Whether he lives up to that ranking is to be determined, but even the most pessimistic projection system (ZiPS) has him hitting 15 homers and stealing 16 bases, which is a ridiculously high reasonable floor for a player's rookie season. Soler and Pederson are consensus top-15 fantasy prospects, in large part because they will be in their respective team's lineups on Opening Day, but this is also something Souza can claim. I would still take Soler and Pederson over Souza in dynasty leagues, but there should not be a huge gap between the three outfielders."

Raimel Tapia, OF
James' rank: 50
Median rank: 73

"Tapia has a plus-plus hit tool that sometimes gets underreported because his swing does not look like a classic great hitter's swing, but the numbers tell the story. His .326 average in 122 games as a 20-year-old at Low-A Asheville last season does not impress me nearly as much as the 16.7 percent K-rate he posted. Most hitters with his tools have a good deal of swing-and-miss in their game when they are that young, but Tapia's ability to make good contact is extreme. Skeptics may point to his .383 BABIP and his favorable hitting conditions last year in the Sally League, but he will have the ultimate favorable conditions if he remains a member of the Rockies organization. His potential hit, power and speed grades all surpass those of Charlie Blackmon, and yet Blackmon was able to post a monster fantasy season last year, in large part because he called Coors Field home. I can't wait to see what the talented young outfielder accomplishes in 2015."

Derek VanRiper:
Blake Swihart, C
Derek's rank: 28
Median rank: 49

"The challenging thing for me with prospect rankings is that I've had few opportunities to see many players first hand, in many cases, I haven't seen the player live at all. In those instances, I'm forced to trust the evaluations of others, use video, etc. Age to level is key here for me, as catchers typically take longer to develop, and the power spike in 2014 evokes Jonathan Lucroy comparisons given Swihart's already-polished defensive ability. Lucroy was always under the radar as a prospect, and is even still undervalued in many ways, but it seems less likely that Swihart will be overlooked as Top 50 rankings are the norm for him and he's cracked the Top 20 for the editors at Baseball America too."

Jesse Winker, OF
Derek's rank: 22
Median rank: 37

"I saw Winker in the Arizona Fall League, and he looked like the most complete hitter of the 100 or so positions players I had the chance to watch. Considering that he's only 21, I am optimistic that the plus raw power he offers will begin to show up more consistently in games. He doesn't have the speed of Christian Yelich, but Winker should adjust to big league pitching very quickly, and Great American Ball Park should help his cause in the home-run department too, even if he ends up being more of a .290-.300 guy with 16-18 HR annually instead of 20-25. Winker also strikes me as a player who gets docked in his scouting grade because he doesn't run well or grade out as more than an adequate defensive left fielder, so it would not surprise me at all if he ends up being a player with more roto value than real-life value."

Orlando Arcia, SS
Derek's rank: 62
Median rank: 113

"What I like most about Arcia is that he's shown very good plate discipline for his age (20) at Low-A and High-A over the past two seasons while facing older competition. Defensively, he's staying at short, and he'll already be playing at Double-A to begin 2015. His best years as a big league hitter may be seasons when he hits 8-10 homers, but offers 30-35 steals and racks up a ton of runs scored as a top-of-the-order tablesetter, and it's still possible that his plus speed will translate to higher stolen-base totals if he can learn to read pitchers more effectively and improve his success rate. It's surprising to me that Arcia isn't currently considered the best prospect in the Brewers' system."

Clay Link:
Luis Severino, RHP
Clay's rank: 23
Median rank: 55

"Severino was brilliant across three levels last season at age 20, and the combination of strikeouts (combined 10.1 K/9 in 2014) and groundballs (1.71 GO/AO in minors) should lead to tremendous success at the major league level. While not as tall as your prototypical ace (6-foot), he does have a strong, sturdy frame, which lends hope to him being able to consistently hold up to a starter's workload. His fastball is plus, and his slider and changeup are already both above-average offerings. Although still just 21, Severino isn't as far away from reaching the majors as one might think."

Nick Williams, OF
Clay's rank: 68
Median rank: 95

"Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of concerns with Williams. He flails away at offspeed and breaking pitches far too often, resulting in high strikeout rates, and he doesn't walk much at all. However, his raw tools are virtually unparalleled in the minor leagues right now, and he had an .834 OPS at High-A last season against competition that was (on average) nearly three years older than him. The tools alone should be enough for him to at least carve out a decent MLB career, and the chance he refines his approach and taps into his true potential was enough to warrant a top-70 spot for me."

Albert Almora, OF
Clay's rank: 61
Median rank: 79

"His strikeout rate jumped more than four percent with the move from High-A to Double-A last season (from 11.9 percent to 16.0 percent), but Almora has been able to maintain his aggressive approach without striking out a lot at each of his previous stops. The pedigree is there, and Almora has flashed his potential with the major league club this spring, going 8-for-21 with three doubles in 14 games. Perhaps the power will not develop as much as some scouts expect, and it's possible his real-life value will outweigh his fantasy utility, but his offensive skill set and defensive ability will make him an everyday player at the major league level in time."

Players We Were Lowest On:

James Anderson:
Tyler Glasnow, RHP
James' rank: 31
Median rank: 19

"Sorry if I'm not blown away that a 6-foot-7 pitcher with a plus-plus heater and the ability to spin a breaking ball was able to put up gaudy numbers at High-A. This was one small step toward him becoming an ace, yet he's already getting treated like a surefire No. 1 starter in a lot of dynasty leagues. By all accounts, the changeup lags significantly behind the fastball and curveball, and he has failed to spend more than five innings at a professional level without posting a walk rate above 11.5 percent. He is by no means doomed, but he will require a little more patience than I think fantasy owners are anticipating. Take a guy like Robert Stephenson, who could have matched Glasnow's 2014 numbers if he was pitching at High-A last year, but instead he was facing more advanced competition at Double-A, and he struggled. If everything clicks, Glasnow could be a borderline SP1 in fantasy leagues due to the high strikeout totals, but there are still several developmental hurdles for him to clear before we start having that conversation."

Mark Appel, RHP
James' rank: 80
Median rank: 47

"My ranking inside the top-100 is more than fair given what we've seen (or not seen) from Appel so far. We obviously can't close the book and say there's no way he reaches his ceiling as No. 2 starter in fantasy, but I also don't think we should act like that is an inevitability. Aaron Nola, Matt Wisler, Jake Thompson and Eduardo Rodriguez all have similar ceilings with much fewer questions surrounding their ability to reach that potential. In my entire top-200, my ranking of Appel has the potential to look the worst by season's end, but I just haven't seen enough sustained production to give him the benefit of the doubt at this point."

C.J. Edwards, RHP
James' rank: 135
Median rank:88

"I've covered this before in various places, but again it comes down to durability and size for me. These two things are related when we're talking about Edwards, and I'm very concerned that he will end up in the bullpen. He's another guy I could be dead wrong about, because when he's out there, the production is usually pretty excellent. However, on only 12 occasions since 1990 has a pitcher who was at least 6-foot-3 (Edwards' height) and weighed less than 171 pounds (Edwards is listed at 170) been able to pitch at least 162 innings in a season."

Derek VanRiper:
Clint Frazier, OF
DVR's rank: 105
Median rank: 52

"Frazier has a lot of raw ability, but I am scared off at the present time by his struggles to make contact consistently (161 strikeouts in 474 at-bats in the Midwest League last year). The tools are intriguing, but Bradley Zimmer seems more likely to put it all together if I am projecting their long-term values (both could be great). Depending on the make-up of a group of prospects already in tow in a dynasty league, there is a case to be made that Zimmer should be taken over lower-ceiling players like Albert Almora and Brandon Nimmo, or players closer to contributing for their clubs like Maikel Franco and Steven Moya."

Dan Vogelbach, 1B
DVR's rank: 197
Median rank: 82

"Vogelbach showed impressive pop during an AFL batting practice session that I watched, but he looks like a DH stuck in a National League organization. I wasn't thrilled by the quality of his at-bats in the game that I saw, and while small sample size caveats apply to watching a player go to the plate four times, it's what I'm left to pair with what are (in my opinion, at least) disappointing power numbers in the Florida State League last season. Swaggy V is a player I really want to like, but I'm just not seeing the long-term value here in the current combination of tools and performance."

Alex Guerrero, TBD
DVR's rank: Not ranked
Median rank: 88

"The lack of a position for Guerrero is a major deterrent for me, though in fairness, my rankings skewed toward long-term value and dynasty settings more than 2015 contributions. He'd be a top 30-40 prospect for redraft leagues, but that the Dodgers couldn't find a way to utilize him beyond three games in the outfield in 2014 really scares me. That they made a point to acquire Howie Kendrick after unloading Dee Gordon to the Marlins, rather than make their $28 million man the starting second baseman, also speaks volumes about their evaluation of him. There is an opportunity for Guerrero somewhere in the big leagues, and his numbers around the Miguel Olivo incident at Triple-A Albuquerque were great, but would anyone be excited about him given his age, where he played last year, and the lack of a defensive position if he were born in Connecticut instead of Cuba?"

Clay Link:
J.P. Crawford, SS
Clay's rank: 52
Median rank: 38

"Crawford's a fine player, but the 24 combined stolen bases last year are deceiving -- I don't think he has the speed to steal 20-plus bags in the majors -- and the second-half power surge seems fluky as well. Seven of his eight home runs with High-A Clearwater came at Clearwater's home park, Bright House Field, which is one of the more homer-friendly parks in the Florida State League. The plate discipline is exceptional for a 20-year-old, but even with the glaring hole at short in Philadelphia, I don't see Crawford being an option for the big club before late 2016 or maybe even 2017."

Dalton Pompey, OF
Clay's rank: 54
Median rank: 39

"While proximity did weigh heavily in my rankings, I still could not justify pumping Pompey any higher than No. 54. His rise through the Blue Jays' system was remarkable, and the speed is great, but there's virtually no power to speak of and his 66.7 percent contact rate in the majors last season was troubling. Granted, that was in a very small sample (43 plate appearances), and he's enjoyed success so far this spring (.310 average) but Pompey will have his ups and downs this season, and long-term, I'm not sure he's much more than a two-category roto option."

Micah Johnson, 2B
Clay's rank: 108
Median rank: 77

"A ninth-round pick in 2012, Johnson has been able to maintain respectable strikeout rates as he's progressed through the minors, and he can draw a walk, but there's simply not a lot of upside outside of stolen bases. He is able to use his great speed to maintain high BABIPs, but he's still only hit above .275 at one stop above Low-A and that was a highly anomalous .329 mark in a 37-game stint at Double-A a season ago. His OPS fell nearly 200 points with the move up to Triple-A last year (from .880 to .684). Like with Pompey, the power is lacking, and the lower-body issues he dealt with last season concern me a bit for a player whose game is predicated on his ability to run."

Please feel free to submit any player-specific questions in the comments section or at us directly on Twitter: @RealJRAnderson, @DerekVanRiper, @claywlink.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Anderson
James Anderson is RotoWire's Lead Prospect Analyst, Assistant Baseball Editor, and co-host of Farm Fridays on Sirius/XM radio and the RotoWire Prospect Podcast.
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