Fantasy Baseball Top 20 Prospects for 2011: Nos. 11-20

If you are looking for the likes of Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, you aren’t going to find them here. This list is geared towards 2011, and only 2011.

Which prospects are going to make the biggest impact for fantasy owners this year?

Let’s take a look at the first half of my Top 20 (for the full Top 90, you can purchase the Rotoprofessor 2011 Draft Guide by clicking here), with Nos. 1-10 being released tomorrow.

11) Jake McGee – Pitcher – Tampa Bay Rays

With the Rays bullpen in flux, could they turn to one of their top pitching prospects to fill the void at closer?

It’s hard to argue with McGee after he flourished in the bullpen in ’10. He was transitioned to a relief role at Triple-A, where he made 10 appearances (one start) and posted a 0.52 ERA, while striking out 27 over 17.1 innings. His dominance continued over 5.0 innings for the Rays, posting a 1.80 ERA and striking out six.

12) Kyle Drabek – Pitcher – Toronto Blue Jays

He appears primed to open the season as the Blue Jays’ fourth starter.

Unfortunately, he will pitch in the toughest division in baseball and doesn’t offer a tremendous strikeout rate (7.51 career K/9) or great control (3.44 career BB/9).

He made three starts for the Blue Jays (4.76 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), but never saw a day at Triple-A. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him ultimately land there at some point in 2011.

13) Dustin Ackley – Second Baseman – Seattle Mariners

Ackley has the potential to be one of those players who has more value to his major league team than to your fantasy squad.

He is supposed to have power, but he didn’t show it in his first professional season after being selected No. 2 overall in 2009.

He hit seven total home runs, splitting time between Double and Triple-A, with five of them coming in 212 AB in the Pacific Coast League.

He also showed little speed with just 10 SB and only two after his promotion. Of course, you have to give him time to adjust to the professional game. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the power mature, as he did have 33 doubles and eight triples, so let’s not completely write him off.

With Brandon Ryan and Jack Wilson filling the Mariners' middle infield, it certainly is only a matter of time. If he gets off to a hot start, he’ll arrive quickly. Of course, his potential value sits with if he can rediscover the power stroke.

14) Lonnie Chisenhall – Third Baseman – Cleveland Indians

He’s considered the Indians' 3B of the future and would it surprise anyone if the future comes in 2011?

Jason Donald, Jayson Nix or Jack Hannahan will likely open the season as their 3B, so there certainly is a good opportunity that he reaches the Majors by the All-Star Break.

Chisenhall will open the year at Triple-A after hitting .278 with 17 HR and 84 RBI at Double-A in 2010. He certainly showed good contact (16.7 percent strikeout rate) and, upon his arrival, could hold value in all formats at a shallow position.

Don’t write him off because he hit just 17 HR in 460 AB in ’10. He's only 22-years old, after all, and his power is still developing.

15) Chris Sale – Pitcher – Chicago White Sox

The announcement has come that he is going to open the season in the bullpen, but is he going to close or is he going to work in middle relief? That is the question that needs to be answered at this point.

He threw 136.2 innings between college, the minors and majors in 2010, so he could face a bit of an innings limit, but not if he’s working exclusively in the bullpen.

He is going to have value, regardless, but if he closes his value increases exponentially.

16) Aroldis Chapman – Pitcher – Cincinnati Reds

He certainly would offer a lot more potential value if he was either going to start or close, but neither appear to be the case from the outset.

However, he showed how dominant he could be in 2010 with 19 Ks over 13.1 innings.

Yes, control could be an issue, but with a fastball that averages nearly 100 mph, when Francisco Cordero falters (and there’s a good chance he will), Chapman will be the one waiting to pick up the job.

17) Zach Britton – Pitcher – Baltimore Orioles

If he pitched in any other division, Britton would likely be ranked significantly higher here.

Unfortunately for him, he calls the AL East home. So once he does get his opportunity, he's going to have to regularly face the Red Sox, Yankees, et al. That’s tough on any pitcher, let alone a rookie.

He pitched well, splitting time between Double & Triple-A in ’10 (2.70 ERA), but he's not a big strikeout pitcher (124 K in 153.1 innings).

That's a bit of a concern and limits his potential fantasy appeal.

The key for Britton will be if he can utilize his sinker—if he can do that, he will have success regardless of the strikeouts. He has the potential to be similar to Brett Anderson, with slightly worse control (career minor league BB/9 of 3.29).

18) Jerry Sands – Outfielder – Los Angeles Dodgers

Jay Gibbons and Marcus Thames are currently penciled-in to see time in LF for the Dodgers, with James Loney as the starting 1B. This means the opportunity is there for someone within the organization to step up and grab playing time.

Sands made a mighty big statement in 2010, hitting .301 with 35 HR, 93 RBI, 102 R and 18 SB between Single and Double-A.

Of course, there is concern about his contact rate (he posted a 24.5 percent strikeout rate), but he did show a good eye at the plate (12.7 percent walk rate) so there certainly is a good chance that he improves and can maintain a strong average.

With the potential need for a big bat in the middle of the lineup and potential weakness at both positions, if Sands can get off to a good start at Triple-A, it won’t be long before we see him in Los Angeles. Those in five-outfielder formats will want to stash him just in case.

19) Devin Mesoraco – Catcher – Cincinnati Reds

I’m higher on him than many, but I certainly see an opportunity for him to make an impact in 2011.

Drafted in the first round in 2007, Mesoraco had done virtually nothing until 2010 when he hit .302, 26 HR, 75 RBI, 71 R over 397 AB across three levels.

With the Reds getting little offense from Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan, it certainly isn’t a stretch to think that they may give Mesoraco a chance by mid-year if they need an offensive jump start.

I know there’s concerns about his defense holding him back (he had 10 passed balls and four errors in the AFL), but a lot of those struggles are likely based on fatigue.

20) Brandon Belt – First Baseman – San Francisco Giants

Talk about coming out of nowhere.

Belt was an unheralded prospect heading into 2010, only to hit .352 with 23 HR, 112 RBI, 99 R and 22 SB in 492 AB across three levels.

Throw in a great command of the strike zone, with 99 Ks vs. 93 BBs and power in his brief stint at Triple-A (four HR in 48 AB) and there is an awful lot to like.

Obviously the return of Aubrey Huff will give him more time to develop at Triple-A, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a look before the year is out (the Giants can easily shift Huff to the outfield in order to make room for him).

Don’t forget to check back tomorrow for Nos. 1-10!

What are your thoughts on these rankings? Who do you think is too high? Are you targeting any of these players on draft day?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out our other Prospect Reports as we head towards 2011:

Make sure to also check out our 2011 rankings:

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