Chances are your dynasty team doesn't need a third baseman. It may well be the deepest position in Fantasy these days.
But the talent here is too overwhelming to ignore.
Keep in mind some of these players are sure to be relocated to other positions just to find openings for their bats. First base and left field are always popular, and second base has become something of a catch-all for misfits with some defensive aptitude. It also goes without saying that third basemen are often what occupies utility spots in Fantasy these days. Production is production, after all.
And production is what you should pursue first and foremost in dynasty leagues. Drafting for need presumes too much.
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 2020 — most, in fact, will not — but among prospects, they're the names Fantasy owners most need to know.
1. Alec Bohm, Phillies
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2019: low Class A, high Class A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .305 BA (475 AB), 21 HR, 30 2B, .896 OPS, 57 BB, 73 K
The third overall pick in 2018 looked the part in his first full professional season, laying waste to the lower minors before settling in at Double-A. There's power to all fields, and the bat control is especially impressive given his 6-foot-5 frame. That awkward size makes it likely he ends up at first base, though.
2. Nolan Jones, Indians
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2019: high Class A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .272 BA (430 AB), 15 HR, 22 2B, .851 OPS, 96 BB, 148 K
Jones' on-base skills alone are enough to earn him some prospect love, but his success will depend on him reducing the strikeouts or increasing the home runs, both of which seem possible given his plate discipline and ability to impact the ball. He's pretty far along for his age, so it stands to reason he'd be a little over matched at this stage.
3. Nolan Gorman, Cardinals
Age (on opening day): 19
Where he played in 2019: low Class A, high Class A
Minor-league stats: .248 BA (456 AB), 15 HR, 30 2B, .765 OPS, 45 BB, 152 K
Though he has a claim to being maybe the best pure power hitter in all the minors, Gorman's contact issues may become a hindrance. And though I'll reserve judgment seeing as he's still only a teenager, the fact he struggled to actualize all that power once he reached a more competitive level, homering five times over his final 73 games, is at least a little concerning.
4. Josh Jung, Rangers
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2019: Rookie, low Class A
Minor-league stats: .316 BA (174 AB), 2 HR, 14 2B, .831 OPS, 18 BB, 32 K
With a well-rounded offensive skill set highlighted by strike-zone judgment and an ability to drive the ball the opposite way, Jung finds himself in the same spot Bohm was a year ago -- a high draft pick who underwhelmed in his taste of the lower minors but whose backers remain fully confident he has the goods to take off.
5. Jonathan India, Reds
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2019: high Class A, Double-A
Minor-league stats: .259 BA (428 AB), 11 HR, 11 SB, .767 OPS, 59 BB, 110 K
The fifth overall pick of 2018 continued his steady climb up the minor-league ladder, putting him within striking distance of the majors, but again without the sort of fireworks you might expect for a prospect of his ilk. One area where he never falls short, though, is plate discipline, which is so advanced that most evaluators remain bullish on him developing into an impact bat (though possibly at second base).
6. Isaac Paredes, Tigers
Age (on opening day): 21
Where he played in 2019: Double-A
Minor-league stats: .282 BA (478 AB), 13 HR, 23 2B, .784 OPS, 57 BB, 61 K
The recently displaced shortstop took a small step back power-wise with his move up to Double-A, and his development of that particular skill will ultimately determine what caliber of player he becomes. It's a skill that plays up in today's environment, though, and seeing as he was young for his level and has no trouble elevating the ball, optimism is warranted. He clearly has a natural feel for hitting.
7. Bobby Dalbec, Red Sox
Age (on opening day): 24
Where he played in 2019: Double-A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .239 BA (472 AB), 27 HR, .816 OPS, 73 BB, 139 K
Though his overall home run output dropped a little in 2019 and he didn't force his way onto the big-league roster come September, Dalbec offered his clearest evidence yet that it's in his future, cutting his strike rate down from about a third to about a quarter. Though his contact issues still figure to be more pronounced against major-league pitching, it's measurable growth for a player with prodigious power.
8. Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pirates
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2019: low Class A, Triple-A
Minor-league stats: .261 (436 AB), 10 HR, 31 2B, 13 SB, .745 OPS, 45 BB, 92 K
While Hayes' enduring prospect standing is mostly tied to his defense, evaluators have long held out hope he'd eventually flash some power. That it didn't happen even in a year of skyrocketing offense at Triple-A is pretty damning. Not all hope is lost, though, especially when you consider he hit seven of his 10 home runs over the final two months. Lesser talents have gone on to develop power in the big leagues.
9. Abraham Toro-Hernandez, Astros
Age (on opening day): 23
Where he played in 2019: Double-A, Triple-A, majors
Minor-league stats: .324 (442 AB), 17 HR, 31 2B, .938 OPS, 58 BB, 82 K
Major-league stats: .218 (78 AB), 2 HR, 2 3B, 3 2B, .688 OPS, 9 BB, 19 K
History shows that when the Astros believe in a player, we'd all be wise to as well, and it says something the way they turned the keys over to Toro when Carlos Correa was sidelined for an extended stretch. Toro's greatest strength is his ability to control the strike zone, and seeing as most of his production came at Double-A and not in the homer-happy PCL, there's presumably enough power here to register at the big-league level.
10. Kody Hoese, Dodgers
Age (on opening day): 22
Where he played in 2019: Rookie, low Class A
Minor-league stats: .299 (147 AB), 5 HR, 8 2B, .863 OPS, 18 BB, 25 K
This final spot is a close call between Hoese and the Mets' Brett Baty, who went 13 spots earlier in the 2019 draft, but Hoese is two years older and with an organization that excels in player development. Like most Dodgers draft picks, he controls the zone well and has a chance for big power with his 6-foot-4 frame.