Previous Rankings: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007
With all 30 team lists completely done, it doesn’t take much doing to figure out the general contours of our Top 101 prospect list. The higher the OFP/Likely, the higher a player will rank on the list below. Still, there is a lot of room for discussion within the confines of those groupings, and that’s before getting into whether someone agrees that those groupings are accurate. If you want to have that discussion, head to Jeffrey’s chat and ask a question or three (not about Wander Javier, we beg of you).
We had those discussions (arguments, really) and more, as a team throughout the offseason—it’s not like we’ve had Transaction Analyses to write—and this list reflects the product of those debates. Each team member might be higher or lower on an individual player—Jeffrey reports there are at least 11 rankings he regrets at present—than the list indicates, but the rankings reflect the looks and opinions of the team, as collected and revised over the course of an entire season. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
If you can’t get enough prospects, Jeffrey Paternostro, Jarrett Seidler, and I discussed the list on a podcast, and there’s the comment section below if you have any more questions. —Craig Goldstein
Chat with Jeffrey Paternostro about the Top 101 (12:00 PM ET) | Read the list with full commentary in Baseball Prospectus 2018
- Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves
- Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals
- Gleyber Torres, SS, New York Yankees
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
- Francisco Mejia, C, Cleveland Indians
- Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
- Nick Senzel, 3B, Cincinnati Reds
- Alex Reyes, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
- Fernando Tatis, Jr., SS, San Diego Padres
- Forrest Whitley, RHP, Houston Astros
- Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
- Brendan Rodgers, SS, Colorado Rockies
- Sixto Sanchez, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
- J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
- Willy Adames, SS, Tampa Bay Rays
- Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Michael Kopech, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Lewis Brinson, CF, Miami Marlins
- Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
- Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
- Walker Buehler, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Juan Soto, RF, Washington Nationals
- Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Tampa Bay Rays
- Kolby Allard, LHP, Atlanta Braves
- Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Estevan Florial, OF, New York Yankees
- Royce Lewis, SS, Minnesota Twins
- Leody Taveras, CF, Texas Rangers
- MacKenzie Gore, LHP, San Diego Padres
- A.J. Puk, LHP, Oakland Athletics
- Scott Kingery, 2B, Philadelphia Phillies
- Keston Hiura, 2B, Milwaukee Brewers
- Mike Soroka, RHP, Atlanta Braves
- Austin Meadows, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Nick Gordon, SS, Minnesota Twins
- Jorge Alfaro, C, Philadelphia Phillies
- Triston McKenzie, RHP, Cleveland Indians
- Jordon Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels
- Hunter Greene, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
- Alec Hansen, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Yadier Alvarez, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Kyle Wright, RHP, Atlanta Braves
- Willie Calhoun, DH, Texas Rangers
- Carson Kelly, C, St. Louis Cardinals
- Joey Wentz, LHP, Atlanta Braves
- Adonis Medina, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
- Dylan Cease, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Cal Quantrill, RHP, San Diego Padres
- Monte Harrison, OF, Miami Marlins
- Adrian Morejon, LHP, San Diego Padres
- Chance Adams, RHP, New York Yankees
- Michel Baez, RHP, San Diego Padres
- Franklin Perez, RHP, Detroit Tigers
- Keibert Ruiz, C, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
- Magneuris Sierra, CF, Miami Marlins
- Justus Sheffield, LHP, New York Yankees
- Anthony Alford, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
- Taylor Trammell, OF, Cincinnati Reds
- Jesus Sanchez, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
- Heliot Ramos, OF, San Francisco Giants
- Luiz Gohara, LHP, Atlanta Braves
- Franklin Barreto, SS, Oakland Athletics
- Jahmai Jones, OF, Los Angeles Angels
- Ryan Mountcastle, 3B, Baltimore Orioles
- Ian Anderson, RHP, Atlanta Braves
- Jack Flaherty, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
- Franklyn Kilome, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
- Dustin May, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Miami Marlins
- Carter Kieboom, SS, Washington Nationals
- Austin Hays, OF, Baltimore Orioles
- Yusniel Diaz, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Luis Urias, MI, San Diego Padres
- Seuly Matias, OF, Kansas City Royals
- Seth Romero, LHP, Washington Nationals
- Riley Pint, RHP, Colorado Rockies
- Jay Groome, LHP, Boston Red Sox
- Jorge Mateo, 2B/SS/OF, Oakland Athletics
- Corbin Burnes, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
- Brett Phillips, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
- Andres Gimenez, SS, New York Mets
- Jon Duplantier, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Jake Burger, 3B, Chicago White Sox
- Isan Diaz, 2B, Miami Marlins
- Mitch White, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Erick Fedde, RHP, Washington Nationals
- Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Oakland Athletics
- Dane Dunning, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Blake Rutherford, OF, Chicago White Sox
- Jesse Winker, OF, Cincinnati Reds
- Arquimedez Gamboa, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
- Beau Burrows, RHP, Detroit Tigers
- Ronald Guzman, 1B, Texas Rangers
- Adbert Alzolay, RHP, Chicago Cubs
- Shane Baz, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
- Fernando Romero, RHP, Minnesota Twins
- Dustin Fowler, OF, Oakland Athletics
- Ryan McMahon, INF, Colorado Rockies
- Albert Abreu, RHP, New York Yankees
- Mike Matuella, RHP, Texas Rangers
Thank you for reading
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List looks good and then you see Dustin May, Seuly Matias and Arquimedez Gamboa and then it's ...wtf lol? Those guys haven't gotten a sniff from the other major rankings. I realize not every prospect ranking list will be the same though. Thanks.
"101. Mike Matuella, RHP, Texas Rangers
Many years ago Kevin Goldstein made this a Top 101 rather than a Top 100. Since then, the 101st spot has often been used to highlight a prospect who while perhaps not strictly the 101st best prospect in baseball, is of particular interest to the authors of the list. I can’t really sustain an argument that Matuella is better than all but exactly 100 prospects in baseball. The truth is he is either a much better prospect or a much worst prospect than that. He has enough health red flags to distract every bull in Pamplona—a Tommy John surgery, a rough Tommy John recovery, recurrent back issues. He’s already 23 and has thrown 78 professional innings, none above A-ball. Matuella was also a candidate to go first overall in 2015, and when he’s taken the ball he’s shown top-of-the-rotation stuff—a mid-90s fastball, potential plus change and average curve. He’s as risky a prospect as there is in the game, but you don’t get into this line of work if you are shy about throwing a marker down. Matuella is ours."