When a position is short on talent at the major-league level, it usually means there's a wave of it building up within the minor-league ranks.
That's certainly true in the outfield, and it actually caught me by surprise. A year ago, I was stretching to come up with 20 names for this list. This year, I had such a difficult time narrowing it down to 20 that I've extended it to 25 for what I think is the first time ever.
Even so, I'm leaving out some noteworthy players who could be a factor in 2023, such as the Brewers' Garrett Mitchell, the Dodgers' James Outman, the Twins' Matt Wallner, the Rockies' Nolan Jones and the Guardians' Will Brennan. Any one could amount to something, but all have significant shortcomings and have reached a critical juncture at which their dynasty value could bottom out at the drop of a hat.
I'm also leaving out some big stat producers with questionable profiles, such as the Giants' Vaun Brown, the Cubs' Alexander Canario, the Rangers' Dustin Harris, the Mariners' Cade Marlowe, the Astros' Justin Dirden and the Giants' Grant McCray. All of them -- and others -- received serious consideration for this list, but there comes a point where you have to draw a line.
I also made the executive decision to exclude recently signed Masataka Yoshida even though he's technically a rookie because, well, he's 29. What kind of dynasty asset is that?
Note: This list is intended for a variety of Fantasy formats and thus weighs short-term role against long-term value. Not all of these players will contribute in 2023 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy Baseballers most need to know.
1. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .307 BA (362 AB), 24 HR, 31 SB, 1.036 OPS, 67 BB, 107 K
Major-league stats: .260 BA (104 AB), 4 HR, 2 SB, .830 OPS, 8 BB, 31 K
Even losing one season to the pandemic and all but seven games of another to a shoulder injury, Carroll went from being an 18-year-old in Rookie ball to a September call-up in the blink of an eye, delivering an OPS over 1.000 at nearly every step along the way. The Diamondbacks system is extraordinarily hitter-friendly, but early returns in the majors were strong. And there's no faking his greatest asset: speed.
2. Jackson Chourio, Brewers
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2022: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .288 BA (400 AB), 20 HR, 16 SB, .879 OPS, 32 BB, 118 K
Chourio's stock took off like a rocket last year, introducing him as the teenage phenom du jour. Even though the only level he actually dominated was Low-A, the Brewers' aggressive push to get him to Double-A by age 18 shows the kind of talent we're dealing with. When the hype is this loud for someone this young, greatness is what generally follows.
3. Druw Jones, Diamondbacks
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2022: did not play -- injured
Jones is every bit the athlete his father Andruw, a 10-time Gold Glove winner, was, taking away hits with his long strides in center field and launching towering flies to all fields. His second-generation status gives him a higher floor than most teenagers with these sorts of tools, and even the torn shoulder labrum that preempted his professional debut does little to diminish his stock.
4. James Wood, Nationals
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Low-A
Minor-league stats: .313 BA (291 AB), 12 HR, 20 SB, .956 OPS, 50 BB, 75 K
Anyone standing 6-feet-7 is bound to fetch Aaron Judge comparisons, but Wood is indeed able to leverage his big size for big power. What's most impressive is his plate discipline at such a young age -- not just his willingness to take a walk but also the improving contact skills made possible by the wider stance he adopted in 2021. His ceiling is as enormous as he is.
5. Zac Veen, Rockies
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .245 BA (466 AB), 12 HR, 55 SB, .724 OPS, 64 BB, 132 K
Veen has always needed time to adjust to a new level, and fittingly, the 34 games he spent at Double-A to end last season (which was a touch aggressive on the Rockies' part) really took a wrecking ball to his stat line. He was still looking pretty wiry in his age-20 season, which might explain why he hasn't lived up to his power projection yet, but he's made up for it with unexpectedly massive stolen base totals.
6. Elijah Green, Nationals
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2022: Rookie
Minor-league stats: .302 BA (43 AB), 2 HR, 4 2B, 1 SB, .939 OPS, 6 BB, 21 K
Green made a strong first impression, if only in Rookie ball, after being drafted fifth overall this year. The son of former All-Pro tight end Eric Green, he possesses the sort of athleticism dynasty leaguers covet, with Baseball America giving him 70 grades for both power and speed. He'll need to overcome his contact issues to make good on it, but the upside is worth the risk.
7. Jasson Dominguez, Yankees
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Low-A, High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .273 BA (451 AB), 16 HR, 37 SB, .837 OPS, 72 BB, 128 K
Has Dominguez quite lived up to the hype foisted upon him during the dark days of the pandemic at the ripe age of 17? Well ... yes. And no. And yes. And no. No one will mistake him for Mike Trout anytime soon, but he's growing into more power, making better swing decisions and showing plenty of aptitude on the base paths. Making it to Double-A at 19 is an accomplishment in its own right.
8. Colton Cowser, Orioles
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .278 BA (510 AB), 19 HR, 18 SB, .874 OPS, 94 BB, 174 K
Cowser stands out most for his hit tool, and yet he struck out 27.8 percent of the time across three levels. That's a bit concerning, but reports suggest he was overly passive, resulting in a .406 on-base percentage, which is both a worthy tradeoff and a potentially correctable issue. He shredded Double-A pitching to the tune of a .341 batting average and 1.037 OPS, showing the extent of his upside.
9. Evan Carter, Rangers
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .295 BA (397 AB), 12 HR, 28 SB, .885 OPS, 64 BB, 81 K
Cater is an unusually advanced hitter with excellent on-base skills and a knack for tracking and timing up offspeed pitches. He's so opposite field-focused that it undermines his power potential, which may be corrected simply by adding strength to his 6-foot-4 frame, but it may instead mean he remains hit-over-power, with a little speed thrown in. A comp to dream on is Kyle Tucker, but with more walks.
10. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: Low-A, High-A
Minor-league stats: .312 BA (423 AB), 16 HR, 32 SB, .896 OPS, 36 BB, 102 K
The real-life son of the mom from Little Big League (no lie) is a high-octane player who stands out mostly for his defense, but Crow-Armstrong has shown excellent hitting instincts so far and surprising pop as well. He still profiles as more of table-setter than a middle-of-the-lineup force, preferring to hit line drives and let his wheels do the work, but it's getting easier to imagine more for him.
11. Robert Hassell, Nationals
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .273 BA (450 AB), 11 HR, 24 SB, .763 OPS, 57 BB, 113 K
Valued over Zac Veen on most rank lists when the two were drafted back to back in 2020, Hassell's stock has taken it on the chin of late. He hit .219 in 37 games after coming over to the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade, and hitting for average is something he'll need to do in light of his iffy power profile. The outlook remains safer than most, but his development path has nonetheless turned out to be bumpier than expected.
12. Oscar Colas, White Sox
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .314 BA (481 AB), 23 HR, .895 OPS, 38 BB, 120 K
Colas got some buzz as a 20-something Cuban signed out of Japan early in 2022, with much of the attention going to his power. But his pure hitting stood out just as much in his Stateside debut. His stock really took off in July, when all that loud contact started resulting in big flies -- specifically, 16 in his final 54 games. He'll compete for a job this spring.
13. Sal Frelick, Brewers
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .331 BA (492 AB), 11 HR, 24 SB, .883 OPS, 52 BB, 63 K
There are clear limits to Frelick's upside, but he's also basically can't-miss as a true center fielder with premium contact skills. He was at his best in 46 games after moving up to Triple-A, batting .365 with more walks than strikeouts, and the Brewers probably should have called him up rather than Garrett Mitchell. For Fantasy, Frelick profiles similarly to Steven Kwan.
14. Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .299 BA (481 AB), 21 HR, 28 SB, .880 OPS, 26 BB, 113 K
It's all too easy to make the Mookie Betts comparison for Rafaela, another Red Sox farmhand with the defensive chops to play both the infield and outfield and a swing that gets the maximum power out of a 5-foot-8 frame. But realistically, his hit tool isn't as good. Still, that glove should earn him repeated chances in the years ahead, enough for him to emerge as a mid-tier (or better) Fantasy option.
15. George Valera, Guardians
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .250 BA (484 AB), 24 HR, .816 OPS, 74 BB, 145 K
If it feels like you've been hearing about Valera for the past five years, well, you're not far off, but even now, as he's within shouting distance of the majors, I get the sense his strengths are being exaggerated. Best-case scenario is something like George Springer, meaning power and on-base skills, but I worry the batting average will fall short.
16. Joey Wiemer, Brewers
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .256 BA (484 AB), 21 HR, 31 SB, .801 OPS, 55 BB, 147 K
A prospect who first popped last year with his goofy swing mechanics, premium athleticism and ridiculous A-ball production, Wiemer's 2022 was uneven but hardly disqualifying given the level of competition. Most encouraging, probably, is that he cut his strikeout rate to 19.5 percent after moving up to Triple-A, which not only suggests growth but also that his mechanics won't be his undoing against upper-level pitching.
17. Emmanuel Rodriguez, Twins
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Low-A
Minor-league stats: .272 BA (136 AB), 9 HR, 11 SB, 1.044 OPS, 57 BB, 52 K
Though it was only in Low-A and cut short by a torn meniscus that ended his season, Rodriguez reached base at a .493 clip. That's right: he was on nearly as often as he was out. He also hit a ball as hard as 112 mph, averaging 90 per batted ball, which would be impressive for a major-league, much less a teenager at the start of his developmental path. There's time to figure out the strikeouts.
18. Kevin Alcantara, Cubs
Age (on opening day): 20
Where he played in 2022: Low-A
Minor-league stats: .273 BA (428 AB), 15 HR, 14 SB, .811 OPS, 55 BB, 123 K
A long and lean 6-feet-6, Alcantara has some contact issues to work through but also a ton of physical projection that should only bolster his already premium exit velocities. And for his size, the strikeout rate isn't so bad, really. It's less a matter of faulty mechanics than pitch recognition, which is something most players his age struggle with. There's big power upside here, along with decent speed.
19. Miguel Bleis, Red Sox
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2022: Rookie
Minor-league stats: .301 BA (153 AB), 5 HR, 18 SB, .896 OPS, 10 BB, 45 K
If you're looking for the next Jackson Chourio, Bleis is a strong candidate. Signed out of the Dominican Repubilc for seven figures in 2021, he was the breakthrough player in the Florida Complex League, delivering superlative exit velocities while flashing premium athleticism. His approach needs work, but if he can pull it all together, he'll be the Red Sox's biggest international find since Rafael Devers.
20. Gavin Cross, Royals
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, Low-A
Minor-league stats: .312 BA (109 AB), 8 HR, 4 SB, 1.070 OPS, 24 BB, 33 K
The professional debut for the ninth overall pick in 2022 went about as well as it could, with him barreling up balls at an ideal launch angle for maximizing batting average and power while also reaching base at a .437 clip. On the other hand, that's exactly what a collegiate standout should do at the lowest levels of the minors. We'll have a better idea how legit it is when he's further tested this year.
21. Brennen Davis, Cubs
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2022: Rookie, High-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .180 BA (178 AB), 5 HR, .597 OPS, 25 BB, 65 K
Davis ranked much higher on last year's list, but a season plagued by back issues, along with a surgery to address said issues, naturally introduces more risk and uncertainty. As the son of an NBA player, he has the sort of athleticism that points to a high ceiling -- for power especially -- but all the lost development time raises questions about his hit tool.
22. Alec Burleson, Cardinals
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2022: Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .331 BA (432 AB), 20 HR, .905 OPS, 29 BB, 67 K
Major-league stats: .188 BA (48 AB), 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 SB, 5 BB, 9 K
With little mobility in the outfield or patience at the plate, Burleson has a narrow margin for error offensively, but the good news is he sure looks like can hit, maintaining a batting average in excess of .300 at Triple-A and continuing to make high-quality contact upon reaching the majors. He looks a bit like Brian McCann standing in at the dish, but the big question is whether the Cardinals can find at-bats for him.
23. Esteury Ruiz, Athletics
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2022: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .332 BA (437 AB), 16 HR, 85 SB, .974 OPS, 66 BB, 94 K
Major-league stats: 6 for 36, 1 3B, 1 2B, 1 SB, 1 BB, 7 K
Ruiz had a minor-league season for the ages, swiping more bases than seems humanly possible while reaching at a .447 clip and showing power for the first time. The consensus is it's a mirage, though, given his poor quality of contact. I'd be inclined to bury him if the Athletics weren't so bullish, accepting him as the main piece in return for Sean Murphy, and speed is of course supremely valuable in certain Fantasy formats.
24. Aaron Zavala, Rangers
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .277 BA (411 AB), 16 HR, .873 OPS, 89 BB, 108 K
Baseball Prospectus describes Zavala's plate discipline as "in the Votto Realm", and it led to a .420 on-base percentage in 2022. The quality of contact gives him power to dream on and points to a high offensive ceiling overall. He's overlooked in real-world rankings because he's best suited for left field and may be unstartable against left-handers, but most dynasty leaguers would take their chances with another Jesse Winker type.
25. Tyler Gentry, Royals
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2022: High-A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .326 BA (402 AB), 21 HR, .965 OPS, 60 BB, 105 K
I'm sticking my neck out for Gentry here, utterly bewildered by the lack of enthusiasm for a player who started out crushing High-A, sure, but actually improved his power and plate discipline after making the critical move up to Double-A. Is it because he bats right-handed? Doesn't play center field? Isn't a base-stealer? Whatever the reason, it's flimsy, and I suspect he'll be the Royals' regular right fielder by season's end.
