A reminder that this is strictly a list for 2019. Several of these prospects are among the best in baseball, but for the purpose of this series, it’s just measuring potential impact for this season. Also, a reminder that prospects who are on MLB rosters are not eligible for this list, nor is any player that has exhausted his prospect eligibility. You can view my top 100 prospects for 2019 and my top prospects by position in our Rotoworld MLB Season Pass.
Without further ado, here’s the top 10 fantasy prospects that can help you in the 2019 season.
1. Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Tampa Bay Rays
2019 stats: 13 G, 1.22 ERA, 66.2 IP, 38 H, 15 BB, 88 SO at Triple-A Durham; 2 G, 2.45 ERA, 11 IP, 7 H, 1 BB, 6 SO at Tampa Bay.
McKay was sent down by the Rays after his last start, but it has nothing to do with his performance, but due to the All-Star break he isn't going to pitch for Tampa Bay again until Saturday in the doubleheader against the Orioles. The southpaw may get sent back down after that game, as well, but if he pitches well, he should stick in the rotation. Either way, McKay is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, and his ability to command his arsenal -- and the fact he's going to pitch against the awful Baltimore lineup -- make him an excellent addition if he's still available.
2. Luis Urias, INF, San Diego Padres
2019 stats: 70 G,.320/.405/.595, 17 HR, 7 SB, 36 BB, 60 SO at Triple-A El Paso; 11 G, .083/.241/.125, 0 HR, 0 SB, 4 BB, 11 SO at San Diego.
Urias has been just average at the Triple-A level over the last couple of the weeks, and is hitting .273 over his last 10 games with five walks and six runs scored. The overall numbers are still outstanding, and we keep hearing reports that the second baseman will be up soon. We have no idea what soon means to the Padres or anyone else. Either way, he's going to be worth the add when San Diego decides to bring Urias up.
3. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
2019 stats: 35 G, .335/.407/.534, 5 HR, 13 SB, 19 BB, 35 SO at High-A Dunedin and Triple-A Buffalo.
If you're interested -- and of course you are -- I did consider moving Bichette ahead of Urias, but the latter's likely call-up puts him slightly head. That being said, Bichette continues to rake, and he's hitting .412 in the month of July and homered in back-to-back games against Syracuse. The fact Bichette isn't on the 40-man roster hurts his stock slightly, as does the possibility of Toronto playing the service-time game here. That being said, Bichette can help in every category makes him one of the best fantasy prospects not just for the long-term, but in 2019, as well.
4. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
2019 stats: 75 G, .349/.401/.618, 16 HR, 29 SB, 17 BB, 74 SO at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
We have a big jump here, folks, and it's in large part due to the fact that the White Sox have announced that Robert will be promoted to Triple-A Charlotte this week after his appearance in the Futures Game. As you can see from those numbers above, the 21-year-old has had no issue hitting pitching at his two levels this year, and his advanced skill set should allow him to do the same in Charlotte. Robert isn't a gimme to get a call-up in 2019, but if he dominates the International League like he has the Carolina and Southern, it can't be ruled out. I'd personally stash him right now if you have the bench room.
5. Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
2019 stats: 82 G, .275/.349/.589, 24 HR, 19 SB, 33 BB, 83 SO at Triple-A Round Rock.
Tucker has struggled with contact as of late, and he has four multi-strikeout games in his last eight games, with two of those seeing him fan three times. He's hitting .226 over the last ten games, but as you can see from the overall numbers above, he was probably due for some regression. There's no room at the inn right now, but Tucker has more fantasy potential than any name on this list, and you should sprint to acquire him if the Astros give him a shot.
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6. Carter Kieboom, INF, Washington Nationals
2019 stats: 67 G, .320/.431/.590, 14 HR, 3 SB, 47 BB, 62 SO at Triple-A Fresno; 11 G, .128/.209/.282, 2 HR, 4 BB, 16 SO at Washington.
Kieboom made only four appearances this week, but he was able to pick up five more hits, including a three-hit performance for the Grizzlies on Tuesday. The shortstop is clearly ready to roll -- yes, even with those struggles over the terribly small sample size -- but he ranks this 'low' on the list because Washington is back in playoff contention, and Brian Dozier is playing pretty darn well over the last few weeks. Still, his ability to contribute in multiple categories at a premium position makes him more than qualified for this list. There just aren't any guarantees that he'll be up again.
7. Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 stats: 71 G, .332/.392/.554, 14 HR, 7 SB, 31 BB, 66 SO at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Lux played his first week in Triple-A, and saying it went well is the understatement of understatements. How about a slash of .500/.548/.833 with a homer, trip, and five doubles in your first taste of Pacific Coast League action? Yep. That'll do. The issue with Lux -- for 2019, anyway -- is that it's tough to say where he fits. I still think he's worth consideration of a stash, however, because of his positional value, and because he can help you in every category.
8. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
2019 stats: 14 G, 3.32 ERA, 76 IP, 72 H, 28 BB, 88 SO at Triple-A Indianapolis; 3 G, 10.50 ERA, 12 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 15 SO at Pittsburgh.
Keller had his first poor start in Triple-A since May on Wednesday; allowing six runs over 5 2/3 innings on nine hits against Toledo. We'll just say he was due. That disappointing start along with two poor starts at the MLB level -- and one average one -- may have Keller off your radar. I think that's a mistake. Keller has excellent stuff, and I still expect the Pirates to turn to the 23-year-old down the stretch. I can't give up on him for the 2019 campaign, and I don't think you should, either.
9. Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels
2019 stats: 30 G, .342/.409/.596, 6 HR, 4 SB, 10 BB, 29 SO at High-A Inland Empire and Double-A Mobile.
Adell is going through a mini-slump, as he's just 3-for-15 in his last four games. Yes, that qualifies as a slump when you've been as good as Adell has since coming off the injured list. He also had several quality at-bats in the Futures Game on Sunday, which is always nice to see. The chances of a call-up are relatively low, but he's one of the top fantasy prospects in baseball, and with the Angels still just barely in playoff contention, it wouldn't be a huge surprise at all if they called up the outfielder to try and get them into (deeper) October.
10. Deivi Garcia, RHP, New York Yankees
2019 stats: 14 G, 3.01 ERA, 68.2 IP, 50 H, 33 BB, 114 SO at High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton.
Welcome, Mr. Garcia. We were not expecting you this soon. The Yankees are calling Garcia up to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and as you can see from those numbers above, it's well deserved. The 20-year-old is one of the most improved prospects in all of baseball, and he can miss bats with four pitches. There are some command/durability issues here, but his strikeout potential is second to only a few hurlers, and that ability to get swings and misses make him an excellent fantasy candidate.
Also considered: Jorge Mateo, INF/OF, Oakland Athletics; Isan Diaz, 2B, Miami Marlins; Ryan Mountcastle, INF, Baltimore Orioles; Dustin May, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers