Not a lot has changed since my Top 100 prospect rankings were posted in February. In fact, the rankings themselves remain the same as they were six weeks ago, as no material has changed; we don't have any new prospects to add, and no player on the list has suffered an injury or other setback that might knock him down. Consider this an update, as I've provided a brief thought for each prospect about anything from his spring work to recent transactions that could affect him to what might be in store for him in 2016.
The full scouting profiles for all 50 players can be found here.
The usual guidelines
• The rankings are limited to players who still have rookie eligibility; that means they have yet to exceed 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the majors and have not yet spent 45 days on the active roster of a major league club, excluding call-ups during the roster expansion period after Sept. 1.
• Only players who have signed professional contracts are eligible.
• I do not consider players with professional experience in Japan or Korea "prospects" for the purpose of this exercise. I also exclude Cuban players who are considered professional free agents by Major League Baseball by virtue of their experience in Cuba's Serie Nacional de Béisbol. As such, this list excludes Byung Ho Park and Kenta Maeda, but it will consider Cuban players whom MLB treats as amateurs, like Yusniel Diaz (who is in the rankings) and Yadier Alvarez.
• When ranking players, I consider scouting reports on them -- usually my own, supplemented with conversations with other scouts and front-office executives, as needed -- as well as performance, adjusted for age and context. I've made one adjustment in my ranking philosophy in recent years, favoring higher-upside prospects over lower-ceiling prospects that are closer to the majors. This better reflects how these players are valued now by front offices and scouting departments, and it gives me a chance to deliver more information on prospects whose names or scouting reports might be new to you.
• I use the 20 to 80 grading scale in these comments to avoid saying "average" and "above average" thousands of times across the 100 player comments. On that scale, a grade of 50 equals major league average, 55 is above average, 60 is plus, 45 is fringy or below average and so on. Giancarlo Stanton has 80 raw power, for instance. David Ortiz has 20 speed. Andrelton Simmons is an 80 defender with an 80 arm. An average fastball for a right-hander is 90 to 92 mph, with 1 to 2 mph off that for a lefty.
Updated Top 50 prospects
1. Corey Seager, SS/3B
Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 21 (4/27/94) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 215
Seager appears set to be the Dodgers' everyday shortstop in 2016. His defense might fall short of average, but no one minds a below-average glove when the player can hit like Seager can.
2. Byron Buxton, CF
Minnesota Twins
Age: 22 (12/18/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 190
Buxton is going to be the Twins' center fielder to start the year, and should be a plus defender right out of the chute. At the plate, he needs to work on pitch recognition to ensure he can make more contact in his second go-round in the bigs.
3. Lucas Giolito, RHP
Washington Nationals
Age: 21 (7/14/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 255
Giolito impressed everyone in big league camp, but there was no room in the Nats' rotation for him -- not that jumping him to the bigs was necessary -- and whether he starts in Double-A or Triple-A, he should be ready to contribute to the big club should they have the need for another starter at some point this summer.
4. J.P. Crawford, SS
Philadelphia Phillies
Age: 21 (1/11/95) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 180
Crawford likely will spend most of the year at Triple-A on a Lehigh Valley club that will be loaded with prospects, but I expect him to make his debut later this summer. His glove is ready, but he needs more consistency throughout his game.
5. Julio Urias, LHP
Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 19 (8/12/96) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205
The Dodgers need starters, but Urias wasn't ready for the majors at the end of 2015 and was limited to just three innings in big league camp this March due to a groin strain. With only 72 career innings above Class A, he should get at least part of a season in Triple-A before he's thrown into the fire.
6. Tyler Glasnow, RHP
Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22 (8/23/93) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-8 | Weight: 225
Glasnow made just one outing in big league camp before he was reassigned, and even if he dominates at Triple-A, I doubt we see him before the so-called (and ephemeral) Super Two cutoff date in June.
7. Rafael Devers, 3B
Boston Red Sox
Age: 19 (10/24/96) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195
Devers should be part of the loaded high-A Salem roster this year, along with another prospect a bit further down this list.
8. Alex Reyes, RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
Age: 21 (8/29/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 185
Reyes must serve a suspension for marijuana use -- unless the Cardinals share my opinion on the folly of punishing this and place him on their 40-man roster -- before he can reach the big leagues, but given his past arm issues and present quality of stuff, there's really no reason to hold him back.
9. Nomar Mazara, RF
Texas Rangers
Age: 20 (4/26/95) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 195
Texas' signing of Ian Desmond likely slows down the timetable for Mazara and his fellow Rangers outfield prospects a little, but as advanced as he is for his age, a half-year at Triple-A isn't going to hurt him any.
10. Orlando Arcia, SS
Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 21 (8/4/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0| Weight: 165
Arcia should be up by midseason, probably about mid-June, to take over at shortstop for Milwaukee for the rest of the season and the foreseeable future; although he has yet to play in Triple-A, his glove and bat are ready to contribute and would easily exceed what it will get from Jonathan Villar in the interim.
11. Brendan Rodgers, SS
Colorado Rockies
Age: 19 (8/9/96) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 180
The Rockies' top prospect and presumed shortstop of the future should start his first full pro season in low-A Asheville, a hitter's paradise.
12. Joey Gallo, 3B
Texas Rangers
Age: 22 (11/19/93) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 230
Gallo had a good showing in spring training, which can't hurt his standing in the eyes of the club after a major league debut in 2015 that saw him strike out in nearly 40 percent of his at-bats. However, there's just no room for him in the Texas lineup now, so he'll go back to Triple-A to work on improving his contact rate, especially on pitches in the zone.
13. Dansby Swanson, SS
Atlanta Braves
Age: 22 (2/11/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 175
Swanson and Ozhaino Albies (No. 20) will have to start at different levels to both remain at shortstop. I think Swanson is the more advanced player, as he's older and had success in the SEC, but Albies seemed to impress the coaching staff this spring and could end up the player in Double-A, with Swanson then starting in high-A.
14. Blake Snell, LHP
Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 23 (12/4/92) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-4| Weight: 180
Snell didn't get much of a chance to win a rotation spot this spring, but given the injury histories of Drew Smyly and Matt Moore, as well as the erratic track record of Erasmo Ramirez, I don't think it'll be long before Snell comes up from Triple-A.
15. Gleyber Torres, SS
Chicago Cubs
Age: 19 (12/13/96) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 175
The Cubs' top prospect excelled in low-A last year and should begin this year in high-A even though he's just 19 years old.
16. Austin Meadows, OF
Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 20 (5/3/95) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 200
Meadows suffered an orbital fracture two weeks ago and will probably be out of action until at least May, after which he'll return to Double-A Altoona and, we hope, won't show any long-term effects from the injury.
17. Yoan Moncada, 2B
Boston Red Sox
Age: 20 (5/27/95) | B/T: B/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 205
Moncada should begin the year as high-A Salem's second baseman, but he's already 21 and shouldn't need the acclimation period he had last spring after a long layoff from competitive baseball. So don't be surprised if he starts strongly enough to reach Double-A by the All-Star break.
18. Andrew Benintendi, CF
Boston Red Sox
Age: 21 (7/6/94) | B/T: L/L
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 170
The Red Sox don't have the need or opening for this to happen, but if Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto can reach the majors within 13 months of signing out of college, why couldn't Benintendi, who won the Golden Spikes Award and was the SEC Player of the Year, as well as the eighth-overall pick in last year's draft?
19. Alex Bregman, SS/2B
Houston Astros
Age: 22 (3/30/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 180
Bregman got 25 plate appearances in big league camp and may start the year in Double-A, an aggressive but merited move given his track record of performance in the SEC. I still think he's going to have to move to second base, but both middle-infield spots are well-covered in Houston, so Bregman might be trade bait.
20. Ozhaino Albies, SS
Atlanta Braves
Age: 19 (1/7/97) | B/T: R/R
Height: 5-9 | Weight: 150
See Dansby Swanson above. I think Swanson is the better choice for the higher assignment. He could advance quicker and make room for Albies to move up to Double-A during the season.
21. Bradley Zimmer, CF
Cleveland Indians
Age: 23 (11/27/92) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 185
I was a little disappointed that Cleveland didn't give Zimmer more time in big league camp, but it worked out well for the Indians, as they gave center fielder Tyler Naquin a spot on the big league roster. Zimmer should probably go back to Double-A to start the season, as all his peripherals took a hit when he was promoted there last summer.
22. Franklin Barreto, SS
Oakland Athletics
Age: 20 (2/27/96) | B/T: R/R
Height: 5-9 | Weight: 175
Barreto looks so polished and comfortable on the field that it's hard to believe he hasn't reached Double-A yet. That said, the A's don't have a true shortstop on their major league roster, so the opportunity for Barreto is there, whether that's in July or September or next April.
23. Kevin Newman, SS
Pittsburgh Pirates
Age: 22 (8/4/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 180
The fleet-footed Newman should probably start out in high-A Bradenton and continue to work on driving the ball and covering the outer third better, with a promotion to Double-A in the cards if he hits as expected.
24. Braden Shipley, RHP
Arizona Diamondbacks
Age: 24 (2/22/92) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 185
Shipley was much better last year after a mechanical tweak got him more online to the plate, but with the Arizona rotation full at the moment, he'll head to the pitchers' hell of Triple-A Reno to see if he can maintain the gains he made in the second half.
25. Manuel Margot, CF
San Diego Padres
Age: 22 (9/28/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 170
Margot impressed the brass in the first two weeks of spring training and should start out in Triple-A El Paso, and since none of the Padres' major league center-field options is a long-term solution, I think we'll see Margot before Labor Day. Bonus tidbit: I've heard Austin Smith, the Padres' first pick (second round) in last year's draft, has been outstanding on the back fields in Peoria, with three above-average pitches and improved control.
26. Jose O. Berrios, RHP
Minnesota Twins
Age: 21 (5/27/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185
The Twins chose to give Ricky Nolasco, who hasn't been effective since the Bush Administration -- no, the one before that -- their fifth-starter spot over Berrios. I really have nothing else to add to this.
27. Willson Contreras, C
Chicago Cubs
Age: 23 (5/13/92) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 175
He can hit and throw, but he needs some work on receiving, game-calling and pitch-framing, so his option to Triple-A 12 days ago wasn't a big surprise. I think he can help the club this year, probably fairly soon.
28. Trea Turner, SS
Washington Nationals
Age: 22 (6/30/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 175
Turner should be the Nationals' Opening Day shortstop, but they're going to play Danny Espinosa instead, who hasn't played shortstop regularly since the minors and hasn't hit much at all since 2012. I'm sure Mets fans are pleased by this.
29. Dominic Smith, 1B
New York Mets
Age: 20 (6/15/95) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185
Mets fans should also be pleased by this, as Smith, their top prospect, will head to Double-A next week at age 20 -- he turns 21 in June, so that's his seasonal age -- and will get his first significant time playing in a park that doesn't suppress power.
30. Sean Newcomb, LHP
Atlanta Braves
Age: 22 (6/12/93) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 245
Newcomb's control problems are a concern -- walking six guys and recording five outs for the big league club this spring didn't give anyone more confidence in him. I'd like to see Atlanta pump the brakes on him, returning him to Double-A and making it clear that he stays there until he's at least throwing more strikes with his fastball.
31. Robert Stephenson, RHP
Cincinnati Reds
Age: 23 (2/24/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 200
Stephenson might have lost the battle for the Reds' fifth-starter spot after a five-walk outing Monday, and it's quite possible he's just not ready, having had control issues in Triple-A last year, too. It's a young rotation, however, and there will be opportunities for Stephenson if he can cut down the walk rate in a return to Louisville.
32. Lewis Brinson, CF
Texas Rangers
Age: 21 (5/8/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 170
The Rangers don't have a real center fielder on the roster -- Delino DeShields Jr. isn't very good there and Ian Desmond has never played it -- so I could see a situation where Brinson beats Mazara and Gallo to the majors this year because the Rangers want his defense even if his bat isn't quite ready.
33. Max Kepler, CF
Minnesota Twins
Age: 23 (2/10/93) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 205
Kepler stuck around for a while in big league camp, but the center-field job was probably Buxton's to lose. Maybe the Twins didn't demote Kepler to Triple-A sooner because they were afraid it would look bad; you might say they didn't like … the optics.
34. Javier Guerra, SS
San Diego Padres
Age: 20 (9/25/95) | B/T: L/R
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 155
The power-hitting shortstop should have a field day at high-A Lake Elsinore this year, and without any shortstops of note ahead of him in the system all the way up to San Diego, I could see him reaching the majors before the end of 2017 with continued solid performances at the plate.
35. Taylor Guerrieri, RHP
Tampa Bay Rays
Age: 23 (12/1/92) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195
Guerrieri, added to the Rays' 40-man roster last winter even though he has yet to reach 80 innings in any calendar year, should be ready to handle an innings jump this season to the 120-130 range, starting back at Double-A and perhaps finishing the year in the major league bullpen if he stays healthy and all goes well. He has the control for major league duty, but not the command.
36. Aaron Judge, OF
New York Yankees
Age: 23 (4/26/92) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 275
Judge has to work on plate coverage at Triple-A, specifically on covering the outer third better without opening up a hole in on his hands. When that happens, he'll be ready to handle right field in the Bronx. But in the past year-plus, he hasn't had much luck making that adjustment.
37. Steven Matz, LHP
New York Mets
Age: 24 (5/29/91) | B/T: R/L
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 200
Matz will be either the Mets' fourth or fifth starter -- does the order really matter? -- and a solid alternative to Corey Seager in your National League Rookie of the Year pool.
38. Anderson Espinoza, RHP
Boston Red Sox
Age: 18 (3/9/98) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 160
I saw Espinoza on a back field in Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday: 92-97 mph fastball, curveball that flashed plus, no feel for his changeup that day, delivery and body control both unusually advanced for an 18-year-old. I imagine he'll pitch an abbreviated season in low-A Greenville.
39. Aaron Blair, RHP
Atlanta Braves
Age: 23 (5/26/92) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 230
Blair wasn't good in big league camp, but other than Julio Teheran, there are no locks in that Braves rotation, and Blair is almost certainly the first guy up when the need for another starter arises.
40. Francis Martes, RHP
Houston Astros
Age: 20 (11/24/95) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 225
The Astros' phenom will probably go back to Double-A -- keeping him away from high-A Lancaster -- and work on getting up to a full season's workload. He's only 20, but if he pitches well, there could certainly be a place for him in September or on a postseason roster.
41. Jesse Winker, OF
Cincinnati Reds
Age: 22 (8/17/93) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 210
Winker missed a few days this month due to a hip flexor strain, but he was still the best choice to start in left field for the Reds, and unless they're set on playing roster games to keep Yorman Rodriguez (out of options) or Jake Cave (Rule 5 draft pick), Winker should be up by June.
42. Amed Rosario, SS
New York Mets
Age: 20 (11/20/95) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 170
Rosario skipped low-A last year and should now begin 2016 at Double-A at age 20, heading to a neutral park where his outstanding bat speed should lead to more power … not that he could hit any fewer homers than the zero (in 417 plate appearances) he had last year in St. Lucie, Florida.
43. Kolby Allard, LHP
Atlanta Braves
Age: 18 (8/13/97) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 175
Allard should be in a stacked low-A Rome rotation now that he's fully recovered from last spring's stress reaction in his lower back.
44. A.J. Reed, 1B
Houston Astros
Age: 22 (5/10/93) | B/T: L/L
Height: 6-4| Weight: 240
It looks like Tyler White will be the Astros' Opening Day first baseman, which means Reed goes back to the minors, probably to Triple-A, to work on little things, notably his defense at first. Whether he's the DH or pushes White from first to the DH spot doesn't matter much, as both guys should be in the team's lineup around July 1.
45. Tim Anderson, SS
Chicago White Sox
Age: 22 (6/23/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 185
The White Sox's shortstop of the future will probably begin the year in Triple-A and make his major league debut this summer, but he has to work on being more patient, both to boost his OBP and to get himself into better counts to see pitches he can drive, before Chicago promotes him.
46. Brett Phillips, OF
Milwaukee Brewers
Age: 21 (5/30/94) | B/T: L/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 180
Phillips will join Arcia, Michael Reed and a lot of other talented players on the Brewers' Triple-A squad to begin the season. But all three of those guys should be up by the All-Star break, especially since there's nothing for a hitter to learn while playing in Colorado Springs.
47. Ian Happ, 2B
Chicago Cubs
Age: 21 (8/12/94) | B/T: B/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Happ's ultimate position remains an open question; he'll play second base for now and I believe he can stay there, but the Cubs are so loaded in the infield that it's possible he'll return to center or right field down the road.
48. Michael Fulmer, RHP
Detroit Tigers
Age: 22 (3/15/93) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 200
I wrote about Fulmer earlier this week and believe he'll be the first guy called up when the Tigers need another starter this year. That slider is going to miss a lot of major league bats, and only fastball command is really going to hold him back now.
49. Victor Robles, CF
Washington Nationals
Age: 18 (5/19/97) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185
Robles will likely start out with low-A Hagerstown. Given the praise heaped on his baseball instincts (and his .352 average last year), I wouldn't be shocked to see him move quickly, even though he's just 19. And a full year in low-A would keep him right on schedule.
50. Dillon Tate, RHP
Texas Rangers
Age: 21 (5/1/94) | B/T: R/R
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 165
The Rangers may slow-track Tate a bit, starting him in low-A (rather than in the hitter-friendly Cal League) to work on his new, refined delivery and to throw more changeups. If he's dominating, don't be surprised if he stays in Hickory longer than you'd expect and then jumps two levels to Double-A.