Top Fantasy Players Under 25

by brok515 on Jan 8, 2009 3:51 PM EST Comment 63 comments

I saw under Dewey's post of Top Fantasy Keepers that a lot of people wanted to incorporate prospects into it. In keeping with that frame of mind, I have made a list of my top players at each position who are 25 years of age and under. For my rankings players already producing in the majors will generally be more valuable but upside is also factored in. If I have forgot someone who is obvious or you just want to voice your opinions on my rankings, feel free to let me know. (The outfielders and pitchers were very difficult to rank).

Top 10 Catchers

1. Russell Martin (Contributes across the board)

2. Joe Mauer

3. Brian McCann

4. Geovany Soto

5. Matt Wieters

6. Buster Posey

7. Chris Ianetta

8. Carlos Santana

9. Jeff Clement

10. Taylor Teagarden

Top 10 First Basemen

1. Miguel Cabrera (Clearly at the top for me, one of the best hitters at his age ever)

2. Prince Fielder

3. Chris Davis

4. Joey Votto

5. Justin Smoak

6. Lars Anderson

7. James Loney

8. Billy Butler

9. Eric Hosmer

10. Logan Morrison

Top 10 Second Basemen

1. Dustin Pedroia (Clearly at the top for a position that is very weak with upcoming talent)

2. Howie Kendrick

3. Jose Lopez

4. Asdrubal Cabrera

5. Adrian Cardenas

6. Alexi Casilla

7. Emilio Bonifacio

8. Sean Rodriguez

9. Chris Coghlan

10. Jemile Weeks

Top 10 Shortstops

1. Hanley Ramirez (No explanation required)

2. Jose Reyes

3. Troy Tulowitzki

4. Stephen Drew

5. Tim Beckham

6. Gordon Beckham

7. Brandon Wood

8. Elvis Andrus

9. Jed Lowrie

10. Alcides Escobar

Top 10 Third Basemen

1. Evan Longoria (Stud you could build a fantasy team around)

2. Ryan Zimmerman

3. Pedro Alvarez

4. Alex Gordon

5. Ian Stewart

6. Mike Moustakas

7. Brett Wallace

8. Dayan Viciedo

9. Mat Gamel

10. Josh Vitters

Top 20 Outfielders

1. Ryan Braun (Again, not a hard choice. He should be great for a long time)

2. Nick Markakis

3. B.J. Upton

4. Matt Kemp

5. Justin Upton

6. Jay Bruce

7. Jacoby Ellsbury

8. Cameron Maybin

9. Hunter Pence

10. Delmon Young

11. Jason Heyward

12. Colby Rasmus

13. Travis Snider

14. Chris Young

15. Adam Jones

16. Dexter Fowler

17. Matt LaPorta

18. Lastings Milledge

19. Elijah Dukes

20. Andrew McCutchen

Top 30 Starting Pitchers

1. Tim Lincecum

2. Cole Hamels

3. Chad Billingsley

4. Felix Hernandez

5. David Price

6. Clayton Kershaw

7. Joba Chamberlain

8. Edinson Volquez

9. Scott Kazmir

10. Francisco Liriano

11. Jon Lester

12. Yovani Gallardo

13. Zach Greinke

14. Matt Cain

15. Justin Verlander

16. Matt Garza

17. John Danks

18. Johnny Cueto

19. Clay Buchholz

20. Max Scherzer

21. Madison Bumgarner

22. Neftali Feliz

23. Trevor Cahill

24. Josh Johnson

25. Brandon Morrow

26. Ubaldo Jimenez

27. Rick Porcello

28. Jair Jurrjens

29. Brett Anderson

30. Kevin Slowey

Top 10 Relief Pitchers

1. Joakim Soria

2. Jonathan Broxton

3. Matt Capps

4. Joey Devine

5. Huston Street

6. Chris Perez

7. Jose Arredondo

8. Daniel Bard

9. Mark Melancon

10. Joel Zumaya

There it is, hope that sparks some discussion. Now feel free to rip me to shreds.

4 recs | Comment 63 comments

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Comments

call it a hunch

but wieters should be the number 1 catcher. I don’t think Martin will steal for much longer

by krgrecw on Jan 8, 2009 4:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wieters

Did you see the article about how Wieters walked on water across the Atlantic Ocean and solved the hunger problems in Africa?

www.fantasyrundown.com
All of your fantasy baseball needs in one place

by goose102977 on Jan 9, 2009 8:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't be ridiculous.

There’s no need to walk on water when you can self-teleport.

by DrunkIrish on Jan 9, 2009 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wieters

I believe all of it. The guy personally made the sun come up this morning. I’m serous! The guy is an absolute baseball stud, and he’s not so bad at spinning the earth, either.

by rmarx01 on Jan 9, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I thought that was Lincecum?

Or was it Jason Heyward?

Founder of the Johnny Giavotella fan club.

by doublestix on Jan 9, 2009 6:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow SS is stacked

And Justin Upton is still going to be the best of the group.

by Galt on Jan 8, 2009 4:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

What?

Do you mean Beckham?

by Hunt3r24 on Jan 8, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

re What?

I’m assuming Galt was making 2 different points.

by rmarx01 on Jan 8, 2009 5:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea

Two different points. I forgot the word “outfielder”.

still though, Upton is going to be a 21 year old with an .850-.900 OPS this year.

by Galt on Jan 9, 2009 9:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

One real qualm

I think James Loney needs to be on your 1B list.

by rutgersjpm on Jan 8, 2009 5:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yup

I had him on the list but when transfering it over he must have gotten dropped somehow. He should slot in right around 6-8 range.

by brok515 on Jan 8, 2009 8:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I am very much a fan of these kinds of lists.

It gives you a much better idea what kind of talent a team has.

by alskor on Jan 8, 2009 5:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Markakis

I think I’d prefer a few of the guys under him to him.

A noob or n00b is someone that lacks intellegance or common sense, most people think that noob is a word used only in the online gaming world, but in reality it is becoming an ever popular word with teenage society.

a noob could be simply a level 100 running round shouting ‘’WTF DO I GO!?’’ or someone calling someone else a noob and then getting hit with a brick, anyone can call anyone a noob, but normally they are noobs themselves
-robert_d_wilfong

by cwhitman412 on Jan 8, 2009 5:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Markakis

Jeez guys, all markakis is done is out preform everybody on this list except braun. There is no doubt that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. Yes, Justin Upton and Bruce have higher ceilings, but I will take Markakis any day of the week. I love all the guys who keep drafting all the high upside guys when a guy like markakis you can build your lineup around for 10 yrs. Markakis is a 880 waiting to happen every year. The guys is as under rated as they come.

by TexasHeat on Jan 8, 2009 8:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

by alskor on Jan 8, 2009 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's partially because

he plays for the O’s..Just makes him easier to acquire in the draft though.

Ripken.....thanks for the memories...

by bodyiq on Jan 8, 2009 8:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I know

I’m an O’s fan, live in the MD area, I just think I’d take some of the more upside guys over him.

by cwhitman412 on Jan 8, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yup

And that is why I said above, that I love guys like you. So bruce’s or Upton’s 950 (maybe) or 820 (if they bust) is worth passing on Markakis? You guys keep taking these guys and I will make a living making you PAY.

by TexasHeat on Jan 8, 2009 9:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

exactly...

i’ve made a fantasy living off of picking the guy i know will perform over the high upside guy….because if you have that one season where he doesn’t perform, he’s a lot easier to drop and move to someone else than someone that you hold high expectations for….

i honestly would even consider markakis above braun….not as much power by any means, but he has a much better delta than braun, which tells me that even if he’s going through an average slump, he’ll probably still be on base enough to steal a bag or get me a few runs…braun is an absolute beast, and single season, i pick him ahead of markakis…but keeper/dynasty format, i think i’d go markakis because i have a feeling he’ll be at his current level longer than braun maintains his….

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

by biggentleben on Jan 9, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well Put

Couldnt say it better. I hadnt really thought about him above braun, but with braun’s low obp, I wouldnt have an issue with that at all.

by TexasHeat on Jan 9, 2009 11:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ask and I shall receive!

Thanks a lot for doing this. A few comments, which are of course only my own opinion:

C – I’d definitely have Wieters above Soto, even for 2009. After that, Wieters should be at (or very near) the top.

1B – If we’re talking fantasy, then I’d move Votto above Davis because Davis will provide HRs, RBIs, and Rs and Votto will provide all of those (a little fewer, and a lot fewer HRs) but will also provide SBs and AVG.

2B – Very weak crop.

SS – Very strong crop! I think Wood will be at 3B, otherwise I love the list.

3B – Yes.

OF – Tough to rank. I think Markakis is way too high (move him around 9), and Pence is also too high. I have Justin Upton, Bruce, Maybin, and Snider in my Dynasty League. Terrible now, but will be great soon! Also, I’d be curious to hear what people think about Desmond Jennings. I’ve read that he could have HanRam type numbers, but I’ve also read that his bum shoulder could cause him to be a flop. Thoughts? I don’t think you can move LaPorta to the OF just yet. Where would he be on the 1B list?

SP – I think people are giving Joba too much love. I’m glad you have Kazmir up there, but I’m afraid of his BB tendencies and high pitch counts per inning. I have Price, Kazmir, Garza, Cueto, Buchholz and Andrew Miller on my Dynasty team also.

RP – I’d take Broxton over Soria – I just have more faith in him. Chris Perez will move way up after given the chance to close. Street is terrible, especially now that he’s in COL. If Zumaya comes back healthy, he will move way up. I have no idea who Melancon is.

by rmarx01 on Jan 8, 2009 5:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good points

I strongly thought about putting Wieters over Soto and probably should have. At this time next year I’ll probably be slotting him in the top 2 or 3 for sure and possibly at number 1. The outfielders were very hard to rank; I put Markakis up that high because I like that he is very consistent, does it in every category, and has less risk than some of the guys I put right after him. I like Jennings, but with how much talent is on the list, I couldn’t find enough reason to slide him on. Definitely has potential but is a risky player… I’ve also never been the hugest LaPorta fan, but if I were to put him on the 1B list, I would put him right behind Smoak and Lars at 7. And one final thing, Melancon is likely the successor to Mariano in NY. I’m glad people enjoyed the list, I had a good time compiling it.

by brok515 on Jan 8, 2009 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Thanks for the info! Keep up the good work brok!

by rmarx01 on Jan 9, 2009 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The likely successor to Mariano

IS Soria, or Broxton, or any other high priced closer coming off a good year and eligible for FA.

by rothe on Jan 9, 2009 11:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't need to hear this right now.

Ugh.

Founder of the Johnny Giavotella fan club.

by doublestix on Jan 10, 2009 5:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Teagarden

No longer under 25.

by nothingfalls on Jan 8, 2009 6:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Scratch That. Never read instruction

by nothingfalls on Jan 8, 2009 6:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

James Loney!?

seriously!?

by MightyMoose on Jan 8, 2009 8:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Seriously

Loney is the real deal

by DodgersBacktoBrooklyn2011 on Jan 13, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Saltalamacchia?

If he gets a full-time gig (Boston?), can he rejoin the ranks?

Ripken.....thanks for the memories...

by bodyiq on Jan 8, 2009 8:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yup

I thought about putting him on there. Was between Teagarden and Salty for that last spot.

by brok515 on Jan 8, 2009 8:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

pelfrey

mike pelfrey has to be on that pitcher list. somewhere between 14-18 IMO.

by robcast23 on Jan 8, 2009 11:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pelfrey

In my opinion hasn’t shown anything over some of the pitchers in that range. He hasn’t been above average in any single category, and hasn’t shown reason to be included on the list. He might slip in if I made a top 40 list. And I realize you are a Mets fan, but I tried not to let team bias effect my decisions.

by brok515 on Jan 9, 2009 12:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

Pelfrey should not be in the 14-18 range, but I would take him over Miller and probably Hughes.

by slickterp on Jan 9, 2009 9:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

in what category has andrew miller or phil hughes been good in? and dominating any one category does not make a star, especially if you’ve got someone who is solid across the board in only his first full season like pelfrey.

obviously i like him a little more than most so you may not buy that 14-18 range but theres a few obvious guys on that list pelfrey is ahead of (miller, buchholz, hughes, jimenez) and a few more that its close (slowey, johnson, cueto)

also it depends how you value prospects…i personally would never take an A baller over a young player who has already had significant success in the majors no matter how high the upside (meaning feliz, bumgarner & porcello)…even guys like cahill and anderson who are closer could end up busting or taking years before they transition to the majors successfully…demonstrating the ability to succeed in the majors is extremely valuable in that some of the best prospects have busted because for whatever reason they just couldn’t handle the major leagues and neither cahill nor anderson is past that stage, like pelfrey is

by robcast23 on Jan 9, 2009 11:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

in other words

until a player succeeds over a full season in the majors, the question is always going to be “will he ever make it?”

whereas when a player like pelfrey shows that he can be successful in the majors, the question of making it is answered so the only question left is “how much better can he get?”

history has proven that the first question can be such a huge hurdle that IMO you can almost never value a prospect over a proven starter unless you’re talking about a truly special player who will dominate almost immediately (ie cole hamels) and i don’t think cahill or anderson will

by robcast23 on Jan 9, 2009 11:46 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

I could definitely buy Pelfrey in the 25-30 range over some players. Players like Miller, Hughes, Buchholz are rated so highly just because if they do put it all together, they could be very, very good pitchers for fantasy, whereas I think Pelfrey would always be in that middle range of pitchers..

by brok515 on Jan 9, 2009 11:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

i wasn’t thinking in terms of fantasy so much and if you’re going for that home run pick that makes sense…

by robcast23 on Jan 9, 2009 11:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pelfrey

Laughable K rates. This is fantasy remember. Brandon Morrow probably deserves a spot on the list (as a starter) though.

by Kaorikaze on Jan 9, 2009 8:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Morrow

Definitely an oversight on my part there. Morrow definitely slots in the top 30.

by brok515 on Jan 9, 2009 9:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

3 words

Chien Ming Wang

by wobatus on Jan 10, 2009 12:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not exactly the same

GB/FB ratio for Wang,
2.91
3.09
2.51
2.41

Also this year was the only year he’s given up more than 18% line drives.

Pelfrey on the other hand. . .
1.70
1.71
1.68

And all three years he’s had line drive % over 20%. Wang is an extreme gb pitcher. The numbers don’t bode well for Pelfrey and him taking a step backwards would not surprise me. If he could pick up an above average offspeed pitch he’d be filthy.

by Southwest on Jan 10, 2009 2:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Pelfrey pitches situationally, his groundball tendencies are much, much better with runners on base (ie: Double Play situations). In terms of Double Plays, Pelfrey was tied for 3rd most in the league with Aaron Cook, and was ahead of groundballers like Brandon Webb, Derek Lowe, and Chien Ming Wang (If you projected his stats out for 200 innings).

by adropofvenom on Jan 11, 2009 10:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No love for Max Scherzer?

He would make my top 30 SP list…

Giants: World Series Champions...in 2011.

by Giants_Junkie on Jan 9, 2009 1:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Scherzer was definitely an oversite who should be on the list. I’ll slide him on there.

by brok515 on Jan 9, 2009 1:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

RP- 25

by Orioles77 on Jan 9, 2009 3:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Jim Johnson.

by Orioles77 on Jan 9, 2009 3:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Fun lists

I generally agree with all the guys you have listed, but I disagree a bit on the ordering on the SP list. Personally I’d have Greinke, Lester and Danks within the top 10 ahead of Joba (sliding back the current 8 to 10 guys). I also think that Dukes should be higher on the OF list — I think he’s a better fantasy bet than Milledge or Pence.

by jibs on Jan 9, 2009 9:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

The starting pitchers were awfully hard to rank, most of the pitchers from the 11-20 range could be interchanged in there, depending on what you are looking for in a fantasy starter.

Also, I thought about putting Dukes up a little higher, but I still think he is risky with his explosive personality. I’d hate to see his career go up in flames over his personal problems but it is not out of the question with him (although he has done a lot better in DC).

by brok515 on Jan 9, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1 on Lester

I was just aout to say I think Lester should be higher on the list. But overall I think it’s a good list.

by Southwest on Jan 10, 2009 2:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

-1 on Zumaya

Just because he throws hard doesn’t mean he should be on this list, the hasn’t proved he can stay healthy for a full 162 game schedule.

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 10, 2009 3:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'd much rather have guys like

Brandon League RP – Tor. and Jim Johnson RP – Bal.

than Joel Zumaya and Mark Melencon

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Jan 10, 2009 3:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wright

I’m reading the 3B list and comments, and thinking “How can you people all ignore David Wright”? Then I go to BB-Ref and find he turned 26 two weeks ago.

by JRTwins on Jan 11, 2009 1:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Kinsler

Ian Kinsler (25 I believe) is easily #3 maybe #2 on the 2b list.

by DodgersBacktoBrooklyn2011 on Jan 11, 2009 6:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

26

26 years old so he is not elligible. Otherwise number 1 or 2 for sure

by brok515 on Jan 11, 2009 6:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Stand corrected… great, and very thorough list

(Hopefully Jemile Weeks will not be the second coming of Rickie, although I still think Rickie can live up to his hype and be 30/30 with a change of scenery)

by DodgersBacktoBrooklyn2011 on Jan 12, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ubaldo Jimenez

His stuff is electric. 26 is too low. He has better stuff than Danks, Garza, and easily Josh Johnson. Not to mention a higher ceiling. And none of those 3 have to play half their games in Coors. I won’t even get into the fact you have him listed below some guys who haven’t thrown a pitch in the majors yet.

I agree - Noonan is as valuable as a dead horse… and he too should be beaten by some dude in a top hat who looks like he’s holding his junk.

by cool hand Charlie on Jan 13, 2009 12:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Jimenez

I thought about putting him higher. I agree he is extremely electric and talented and COULD develop to be better than some of those guys, but stuff is not everything. He walked over 100 guys last season and his WHIP was through the roof. To me, he reminds me of a right handed Oliver Perez: one of the most gifted players in the league who at times looks like an ace but also looks lost at times. I just don’t think he ever puts it all together and becomes that dominant pitcher.

by brok515 on Jan 13, 2009 12:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

double standard

Let me first say that i think your lists are solid. and when you make a list like this you’re putting yourself out there for critisizm. Because its not like I posted comparable lists for scrutiny. I am literally just looking at your lists and cherry picking things i see. So, props to you for taking the time to do this and having the minerals to post it online. Its a damn solid overall list.

I guess i just don’t really understand if these are strictly your future predictions or somewhat based on the numbers for last year. You mention Ubaldo’s walks putting his WHIP through the roof. His WHIP was 1.43. Verlander’s was 1.40. Volquez walked 93 to Ubaldo’s 103. With the walks, Ubaldo still posted a line of .245/.340/.348/.688. WHIP only tells so much of the story. And walks only really hurt you if you’re giving up a lot of home runs. Ubaldo gave up only 11 home run in 34 starts, again, playing half his games in Coors. He was a groundball pitcher last year. He GB/FB was 313/257. I don’t think you can assume that Ubaldo will spend the rest of his career in Colorado. Its not a big market team. And clearly he will be expensive once he starts hitting arbitration and especially free agency.

You say stuff isnt everything. And there is some truth to that statement. But with stuff comes room for error. A guy who doesn’t have great stuff has so little room for error and as such not much room to improve. A guy like Ubaldo on the other hand, with his stuff can be an ace if he normalizes some aspects of his game. Matt Garza, Danks and Johnson will never be aces and as such their ceiling is a #2 just due to their stuff and less room for error.

I agree - Noonan is as valuable as a dead horse… and he too should be beaten by some dude in a top hat who looks like he’s holding his junk.

by cool hand Charlie on Jan 13, 2009 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah

I absolutely agree with what your saying and I could see Jimenez slotted anywhere from 15 to 25 on my list, but a lot of those guys are so close that it was very tough. Like I said, my main concern with Ubaldo is I see a lot of Oliver Perez in him, which is basically an inconsistent but sometimes unhittable number 3 starter. But everything you said is a good point, and I agree with a lot of it.

by brok515 on Jan 13, 2009 4:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Volstad!

Volstad was pretty steady eddie last year. He seems to have a great even temper and locates like a poor man’s Greg Maddux (a poor man’s Greg Maddux being a very rich man in that regard). And he’s 22.

Proven MLB #s over some of those guys who have not sniffed the pros, and a few who have great stuff but have been erratic (Verlander) or injured (Josh Johnson)

by DodgersBacktoBrooklyn2011 on Jan 13, 2009 1:02 PM EST reply actions 0 recs