Rank these prospects for Upcoming Minor League Draft

by jumperjah on Jan 12, 2026 12:16 PM EST Comment 28 comments

Have my minor league draft coming up, and not entirely sure who I should take. I have the 2nd and 4th picks, so I should be able to get at least 2 out of this group.

Aroldis Chapman

Bryce Harper

Chris Carter

Christian Friedrich

Desmond Jennings

Domonic Brown

Jordan Lyles

Martin Perez

Michael Taylor

Mike Trout

Ryan Westmoreland

Starlin Castro

Looking for ranks - League is a standard 5x5 fantasy league.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

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rank

Jennings
Chapman
Harper
Brown
M. Perez
Carter
Westmoreland
Taylor
Friedrich
Castro
Lyles
Trout

by soxkid on Jan 12, 2026 12:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

pretty much agree with this ranking in it’s entirety.

by MightyMoose on Jan 12, 2026 1:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My Rank

1) Jennings
2) Brown
3) Taylor
4) Carter
5) Friedrich
6) Perez
7) Chapman
8) Castro
9) Westmoreland
10) Harper
11) Trout
12) Lyles

by Navi's_Navy on Jan 12, 2026 12:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

"Should" be able to get two...?

With two of the first four picks in your draft, let me assure you that you’ll be able to get two of the aforementioned players. Now, that aside:

1) Jennings
2) Perez
3) Chapman
4) Brown/Westmoreland

That’s all you need.

by Jaeti on Jan 12, 2026 1:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

+1

by AKinn15 on Jan 12, 2026 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In a 5x5 league

Jennings is the obvious #1 guy; you’re talking about winning SB singlehandledly starting in 2011.

Similarly, Chapman strikes me as the clear #2; he’s the only guy I see with 200 K upside, although it’s worth mentioning that Kevin Goldstein seems to think Martin Perez is Sandy Koufax with more upside.

After that I think I would go with Michael Taylor at #3 — he, Brown, and Westmoreland all profile roughly similarly (i.e., 20-20 outfielders), but Taylor is the most advanced of the three.

At #4, I would slot in Chris Carter, just because I love that bat, although I could hear an argument for any of the three guys I passed over up there.

by AndrewTorrez on Jan 12, 2026 3:59 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Harper

If you can trade minor league, I would take Harper due to the buzz. There will be a ton of buzz on him around and after the draft. I would bet you could deal him for something better then just about anyone on this list at this time next year.

1. Harper
2. Jennings
3. Perez
4. Westmoreland

by NMUWildcat027 on Jan 12, 2026 6:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Harper

I am honestly expecting him to go #1 (or at least maybe that’s my hope).

by jumperjah on Jan 12, 2026 6:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That would be good for you

…since 1 SB is worth more than 1 HR in 5×5. But seriously: if you’re in a league where Desmond Jennings isn’t the #1 pick (from that list above), you probably don’t need our help to beat everyone else in it. :)

by AndrewTorrez on Jan 13, 2026 12:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

garbage

I could make arguments for carter, brown, taylor and even starlin (given position) above jennings.
And then add in chapman and perez if you favor pitching.

by novaoakland on Jan 13, 2026 5:48 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Sure

You could give arguments, but whose saying they would be any good…

Seriously though the only way not to select Jennings is if you are afraid of the injuries which is a good case to make. Otherwise, fantasy related he looks to be in the Crawford/Ellsbury tiers as his potential which makes him a pretty good bet to do very well.

by hybrid on Jan 13, 2026 6:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Point is

Reasonable people can disagree as to who best prospect is. It does not ruin the league.

by novaoakland on Jan 13, 2026 9:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yea...

who said it did? The poster merely made a light joke about if the guy didn’t take the consensus top prospect available then he didn’t need any help. That’s how I took it anyways.

by hybrid on Jan 13, 2026 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

League's pretty solid

So since I would want Jennings to fall to 2, he’ll undoubtedly get drafted at #1. Draft starts on Friday, so I’ll know for sure soon

Jason's Baseball Blog

by jumperjah on Jan 13, 2026 9:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Harper buzz

Totally agree… By June you may be able to really spin him into something huge.

by novaoakland on Jan 13, 2026 5:56 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs

Side question

I didn’t want to start my own thread but really wanted some advice. I’ve just been offered Clay buchholz and a 1st round pick (next draft) in return for Desmond Jennings. the guy making the offer finished 2nd to last the previous season, so I have a chance to get a top 3 pick (maybe first) which means a shot at Bryce harper Feels like a no-brainer

on the other hand, OF is definitely the week spot on my team, and getting jennings long term would be a huge help. We start 4 OF, and I have Sizemore, Markakis, Travis Snider, Seth Smith, Hermida, Delmon Young, Jennings, Decker, and Weglarz. Other than Jennings, none of my OF excite me that much.

So, I think I’m getting excellent value for jennings, but he’s also a player at a position I need long term. I figure with a top 3 pick next season I could replace jennings with another elite prospect. Help would be appreciated

-1 and only member of the Jed Lowrie fan club!

by Jgaztambide on Jan 13, 2026 1:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wow. That's tough

Im a huge Buchholz fan, but I also love Jennings, and he is going to be a superb fantasy player with his speed (and I believe in his power).

BUT Buchholz AND a 1st round pick (and a top 3 pick at that??).

Typically, the rule of thumb is position player over pitcher. OTOH, its really not all that hard to find effective OF options. There are always so many, and so many who come out of the woodwork and become decent fantasy options(Scott Hairston types). Jennings will be a truly elite OF option, though.

Its really tough. With a top 3 pick though, the value just has to be on that side.

Also, why arent you excited about Markakis and Travis Snider in your OF…? Those guys are very good.

How many teams in your league, how many players you can keep, and if its traditional 5×5 or not would change things… but I think I would do that trade.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2026 1:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: details

it’s a 16-team league, 40-man rosters, everyone gets kept. No salaries or anything, rosters roll over year to year. it’s a points based league, not roto, and it kind of devalues steals, but only if your caught stealing rate isn’t good. Awards patient players. Rate stats are more valued than runs and RBI

I am excited about Markakis and Snider, very much so, but you really need 4 very good OF and another 2 or 3 at least average OF in the league (you really have to squeeze every last available at bat from every position)

I probably need one more good pitcher. My starting pitching at the moment is Felix, Hamels, Peavy, Edwin jackson, Garza, Scott Baker, Liriano (not counting on him), with Frank Francisco and Zumaya in the pen. Have Oliver perez and Scott Olsen as potential helpers. Max innings of 1475 innings. not much in the way of pitching prospect for me other than James McDonald

On the other hand,my offense is sick and a half. Pujols, Hanley, longoria, Sizemore, Tulowitski, Markakis, Mark Reynolds, Billy Butler, and jesus Montero and Jennings waiting in the wings

-1 and only member of the Jed Lowrie fan club!

by Jgaztambide on Jan 13, 2026 2:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Id probably do it then

See if you can wriggle another useful player out of him first, though.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2026 2:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Trade Jennings

All you’re giving up is the difference between Jennings and whoever you get at #3 next year, and based on the way TB moves their prospects (slowly), I think it’s unlikely Jennings will do much this year.

As you note, you have more question marks in your pitching staff — although there’s a hell of a lot of upside there as well.

by AndrewTorrez on Jan 13, 2026 1:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jenning is likely to be better than whatever he gets in the top 3 next year IMO

but I dont know about a Buchholz better…

by alskor on Jan 13, 2026 2:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree and I don't

If the pick is #1 and Bryce Harper is eligible and hasn’t collapsed, I’d trade Jennings for Harper.

The value, of course, is that Jennings is so close to the majors and is much less risky (presumably) than whoever will be there top 3. A top three pick next year could have a similar ceiling to Jennings, but with more risk and value further down the line

I agree though, I’d take Jennings over a top three pick next year, but getting Buchholz definitely makes up for the difference

-1 and only member of the Jed Lowrie fan club!

by Jgaztambide on Jan 13, 2026 2:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As a fantasy asset, I just am really partial to Jennings

I agree Harper is really enticing, but sooo far away, and its extremely hard (impossible even) to project the kind of fantasy asset he might be (nevermind what position he might be). So, odds are they wont be as good as Jennings, who appears to be a premium fantasy player and is damn near MLB ready. It could happen, but the odds are stacked against it.

So, I would need a premium to trade Jennings for a(n admittedly premium) pick… and Buchholz does the job. If someone is willing to overpay by that kind of amount, well, Im willing to let them do it.

by alskor on Jan 13, 2026 4:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

by AndrewTorrez on Jan 13, 2026 2:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Top 3 pick

If I read correctly, I believe this talk of a top-3 pick is speculative based on where your potential trading partner finished last year. Maybe there’s a longer history of him finishing that low in the standings, and maybe his roster looks hopeless enough that there truly is a high probability of him finishing that low again.

But, crazy things can happen. What if you end up with the 4th pick, or the 5th? If you were assured of getting Harper with your pick, then I might say go for it. Excessive hype and extreme youth aside, there’s a lot to like there, not to mention potential bounties to be had in trades from other owner’s who want him desperately.

But if you don’t get him, how many other guys in next year’s draft would you rather have than Jennings. Jennings is close and has superstar potential. Do a little thought experiment with the 2009 draft pool, where Strasburg is the one carrying the hype of 2010 Harper. If you didn’t get the #1 pick and end up with Strasburg, how many players deep would you have been okay going before you regret the trade? Personally, based on upside and nearness to the majors, the only guys I’d be okay doing this deal for would have been Strasburg and Ackley. Translate that to 2010. If you don’t end up with the #1 pick, how many players down the line are you willing to go before you regret making the trade for an as-yet-undetermined draft pick?

I know I’ve ignored the Buchholz aspect so far, and of course that matters. But I think Jennings could be fantastic, and if I was going to trade him, I’d rather get Buchholz and some other player of my choosing instead of access to an unspecified draft pick. Harper could be great, but he’s a long ways off.

by Jaeti on Jan 13, 2026 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs