Fantasy baseball managers in ESPN standard leagues get their active lineup and then only three bench spots, so it may be difficult to roster top prospects still toiling in the minor leagues. Everyone loves the rookies, of course, regardless of sport, because they have yet to fail at the top level. Some will be awesome. Most will not be awesome. Still, we all dream that the prospects on our rosters are about to become the next Mike Trout. Some are more patient than others.
We will check in with the top prospects every other week in this space for the foreseeable future -- and follow the big-league closers in the other weeks -- and with one full weekend of big-league games underway, few are rostered in many ESPN leagues. Here are the top 10 prospects still in the minor leagues -- ranked in order of ESPN roster percentage -- with one analyst's thoughts on whether they are worth the wait for this season in redraft formats.
Top 10 minor league prospects
Jackson Holliday, SS/2B, Baltimore Orioles (46.4% rostered): The precocious Holliday, the No. 1 pick of the 2022 amateur draft posted a .954 OPS in spring training, showing power and speed, but he also struck out in one-third of his at-bats. With fewer than 100 Triple-A plate appearances prior to this season, it always made sense that he would head back to that level for at least a few weeks. The Orioles appear loaded offensively, and the 20-year-old Holliday would fit in nicely. Look for the call-up to happen this month, making it feel as if Holliday really needs to be rostered in more leagues.
