Fantasy411: Prospects to stash for stretch run

August 4th, 2017

Much has happened since MLBPipeline.com's last fantasy prospect rankings two weeks ago. The deadline for trades without waivers has passed, prompting several deals involving intriguing young talent, and four of the 20 best prospects in baseball have been promoted to the big leagues.
Mets shortstop (No. 2 on MLBPipeline's Top 100 Prospects list), Red Sox third baseman (No. 4) and Braves second baseman (No. 19) look like they'll get regular at-bats for a while, though Brewers outfielder (No. 15) got sent back to Triple-A this morning. Devers has been the most productive of that group, batting .406/.486/.750 with three homers in his first eight games with Boston.

Below are MLBPipeline.com's updated rankings of the top 10 fantasy prospects presently in the Minors. As always, we're considering only expected 2017 fantasy production in the Majors, while our Top 100 reflects long-term value in all phases of the game.
1. Dominic Smith, 1B, Mets No. 2/MLB No. 41 (Previous rank: unranked)
New York already started looking toward the future by calling up Rosario to play regularly, and it might as well begin getting Smith acclimated to the big leagues as well. Triple-A Las Vegas is a launching pad, but he does have pure hitting ability and an advanced approach to go with his .337/.394/.533 line and 16 homers in 108 games.
2. , RHP, White Sox No. 6/MLB No. 59 (Previous rank: unranked)
Though it may not be by much, Lopez has surpassed as a prospect since both were acquired in the trade with the Nationals at the Winter Meetings. We can argue whether it's really in the White Sox best interest to try to win games the rest of this season, but there's no question that Lopez belongs in the their rotation. He has a 2.16 ERA, a 54/11 K/BB ratio and a .188 average over 41 2/3 innings in his past seven starts at Triple-A Charlotte.

3. , 3B/1B, Tigers No. 3/MLB No. 91 (Previous rank: unranked)
No prospect needed a trade more than Candelario, who was hopelessly blocked by and on the Cubs before coming to Detroit in the Justin Wilson/Alex Avila trade. The Tigers should move Nick Castellanos to a less challenging position and hand third base to Candelario, a switch-hitter who can produce for power and average and also provide a defensive upgrade. He's batting .272/.364/.524 with 13 homers in 83 Triple-A games this year.
4. Brent Honeywell, RHP, Rays No. 1/MLB No. 14 (Previous rank: 7)
Tampa Bay has a realistic chance to make the postseason, so it should stop messing around with -- his 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Astros on Wednesday notwithstanding -- and install Honeywell in its rotation. He has quality stuff, possesses a knack for rising to the occasion and has permitted a total of four runs in his past five Triple-A starts.
5. Lewis Brinson, OF, Brewers (Previous rank: 2)
Milwaukee has given Brinson two chances to earn regular playing time, and he has responded by hitting .106/.236/.277 in 47 at-bats. He's still worth monitoring, however, because he has an enticing power/speed combination and isn't a lock to hit either.
6. Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Phillies No. 6/MLB No. 71 (Previous rank: 4)
Hoskins has shown that his 2016 breakout was no fluke, as he leads the Triple-A International League in homers (26), runs (74), RBIs (83), extra-base hits (52), total bases (214), slugging (.566) and OPS (.946). He has more homers (64) than any Minor Leaguer across the past two seasons and possesses more upside than incumbent Philadelpha first baseman Tommy Joseph.

7. Scott Kingery, 2B, Phillies No. 3/MLB No. 56 (Previous rank: 9)
Like Hoskins, Kingery has a relatively young and inexpensive player (Cesar Hernandez) performing decently enough ahead of him in the Philadelphia. The Phillies should just remake the right side of their infield rather than let Kingery pursue a 30-30 season in the upper Minors.
8. , OF, Cardinals No. 4/MLB No. 99 (Previous rank: unranked)
O'Neill's stock dropped when the 2016 Double-A Southern League MVP slumped throughout April and May, but the prospect started to come out of it with six homers in June before exploding for 11 in July. Nonetheless, the Mariners traded him to the Cardinals to acquire last month, and O'Neill -- who has boosted his Triple-A line to .249/.325/.495 with 22 homers in 103 games -- could crack St. Louis' outfield in the near future.
9. Ryan McMahon, 1B/2B/3B, Rockies No. 3/MLB No. 64 (Previous rank: unranked)
After hitting everywhere he went in his first three pro seasons, McMahon tailed off dramatically in Double-A last year. The Colorado farmhand looks like his old self again in 2017, however, as evidenced by his .362/.406/.599 line with 18 homers and 11 steals in 102 games between Double-A and Triple-A. He also has added second base to his résumé and could offer more consistency than current Colorado first baseman as the club tries to secure a Wild Card berth.

10. , SS, Rays No. 2/MLB No. 18 (Previous rank: unranked)
As mentioned with Honeywell, the contending Rays should play their best lineup -- and Adames would be an upgrade over the light-hittingAdeiny Hechavarria at shortstop. Though Adames won't be as slick with the glove, he can hold his own defensively and would provide a lot more offense. He's batting .262/.358/.402 with seven homers in 100 Triple-A games at age 21.
Dropped out: Amed Rosario, SS, Mets (Previous rank: 1/called up); Ozzie Albies, 2B, Braves (Previous rank: 3/called up); Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox (Previous rank: 6/called up).