Beyond Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Eloy Jimenez, these 10 prospects could really help your fantasy baseball team in 2019.
When considering the top MLB prospects who will arrive in the big leagues and make an impact in fantasy baseball this year, it’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Eloy Jimenez and pretty much every else behind them.
That said, with service time considerations in play, the Toronto Blue Jays are likely to keep Guerrero down for a few weeks to start the season and the Chicago White Sox will surely do the same with Jimenez. Other teams will follow suit, keeping their own top prospects who otherwise seem ready for the big time down in the minors until at least mid-April.
But those service time-manipulated players can still be key contributors, for their real teams and for fantasy owners willing to draft-and-stash or keep a keen eye on the waiver wire early in the season.
Guerrero and Jimenez will be the first two prospects drafted in any fantasy baseball league, be it re-draft leagues or in dynasty leagues where they are available. But these other 10 prospects have a path to playing time, and a path to fantasy relevance, this year.
10. Garrett Hampson, 2B, Colorado Rockies
The biggest question with Hampson is immediate playing time, as he competes with Ryan McMahon for the starting job at second base for the Rockies and both hit well during the spring. But he was solid in a big league cup of coffee last year (.275, .796 OPS over 48 plate appearances), and he has been a high-contact hitter in the minors along with 123 stolen bases (84 percent success rate) and a .846 OPS over three seasons.
Home runs won’t be a big category for Hampson, as he hits the ball on the ground too often to maximize Coors Field (53.2 percent ground ball rate in Triple-A last year). But he does seem to have some have extra base power, which will play well in Denver, and with a regular spot in Bud Black’s lineup across the board fantasy production would easily follow.