At RotoBaller, we don't take the winter off when it comes to Fantasy Baseball. So, what you have here is the first in a 30 part series looking at the top 10 MLB prospects of every major league ball club. These lists aren't like your standard top 10 prospects lists, but rather have a keen focus on 2016 fantasy baseball dynasty leagues. After we preview all 30 teams, we'll rank the top prospects at each position, strictly for 2016 and also for dynasty leagues. Winter is coming, aye. But you have lots of amazing fantasy baseball content to look forward to this winter.
The Baltimore Orioles are in a tricky position right now because they are losing two players to free agency (Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis) and both of those players are out of their price range. Luckily for Orioles’ fans, Baltimore has a lot of minor league depth and is capable of replacing these players in the near future. Luckily for fantasy owners, some of those players could have a major fantasy impact this season. Players like Christian Walker and Tyler Wilson may benefit from the two aforementioned players departing.
Make sure to also check out our awesome 2016 fantasy baseball rankings dashboard, where you will find more of my team prospect rankings. You'll also find RotoBaller staff rankings for all positions, tiered rankings starting to ramp up, dynasty rankings for 2016, and much more. Okay, let's get to it.
Baltimore Orioles Top 10 MLB Prospects for Dynasty Leagues
These are the top ten prospects for the Baltimore Orioles in terms of fantasy production for fantasy owners over the next few seasons.
1. Dylan Bundy (SP, MLB)
Stats: 22.0 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.81 FIP, 10.23 K/9, 2.05 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9
ETA: 2016
If not for injuries, Dylan Bundy could potentially be preparing to enter his third full season as a starter. He made his MLB debut in 2012 and since then has spent every season out with some injury. Bundy will have to be on the Orioles’ 40-man roster for the entirety of the season or else he becomes eligible for the Rule 5 draft. This means that if he can stay healthy, he stands a good chance of having an impact for fantasy owners this season. He has a lot of potential and is worthy of a stash in most dynasty leagues, but owners must be warned that he is a serious health risk.
2. Hunter Harvey (SP, A)
Stats: DNP
ETA: 2017
Hunter Harvey appeared to be on quite the fast track to success after reaching A-ball at the ripe age of 19-years-old and throwing 87.2 innings of solid 3.18 ERA, 3.42 FIP ball. But elbow issues in 2015 prevented him from even throwing a single pitch at the professional level and have forced his time table to be pushed back some. Harvey is widely regarded as the best pitcher in the Orioles’ farm system and could see some time in the majors as early as midseason of 2017. So while he has ace potential and is without a doubt worthy of a stash, much like Bundy, Harvey is a major health risk.
3. Christian Walker (1B, MLB)
Stats: (from Triple-A) 592 PA, .257/.324/.423, 18 HR, 1 SB, 8.3% BB rate, 23.0% K rate
ETA: 2016
Of all the prospects in the Orioles’ farm system, Christian Walker is the one who is guaranteed the most playing time in the near future. He is not by any means a health risk, has a clear path to the majors, and has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor. Walker’s biggest asset is his power which should be able to provide 20 home runs to fantasy owners every season. Like most power hitters, Walker does have an alarming strikeout rate that could lead to a lower batting average in the majors. But with Chris Davis being likely to sign with another team, the first base job is open and Walker is the only clear replacement in sight.
4. Chance Sisco (C, AA)
Stats: 84 PA, .257/.337/.392, 2 HR, 0 SB, 10.7% BB rate, 16.7% K rate
ETA: 2017
The likely heir to the position of catcher for the Orioles once Matt Wieters leaves, Chance Sisco is only 20-years-old and has already spent a fair amount of time at Double-A. The bat of Sisco is what will get him to the majors quickly as he has a great eye at the plate that allows him to reach base at a very high rate and allows him to hit for a decent average. Though he lacks serious pop, scouts have seen the potential for him to contribute 10+ home runs in a season if he continues to mature. Sisco is not too far behind reaching the majors and should be seen as a future option at catcher as early as the 2017 season.
5. D.J. Stewart (OF, A-)
Stats: 268 PA, .218/.288/.345, 6 HR, 4 SB, 8.6% BB Rate, 19.4% K rate
ETA: 2018
The top hitter in the minors for the Orioles, DJ Stewart is only this low because he doesn’t have any value in the immediate future. He was just drafted in 2015 and though he played college ball for a while and could start next season in A-ball, it is unlikely that Stewart will see the majors until 2018. When he does eventually get here though, he has the potential to hit 20 home runs to go along with a solid batting average. Dynasty owners are encouraged to avoid stashing him for now just because he is so far away from big league time, but he will eventually reach the point where he becomes worthy.
6. Tyler Wilson (SP, MLB)
Stats: 36.0 IP, 3.50 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 3.25 K/9, 2.75 BB/9, 0.25 HR/9
ETA: 2016
The Orioles saw both prospects Mike Wright: Fantasy Baseball Player News & Analysis" href="http://dev.rotoballer.com/mlb/player/605541/Mike+Wright" target="blank">Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson end their seasons in the majors after successful seasons at Triple-A, but only Wilson produced positive results. Though Wright had more hype surrounding him, he struggled greatly while Wilson proved to be a very solid arm. Though the 3.25 K/9 is very low, fantasy owners should not be too concerned as he has proven in the past to be capable of striking out batters at a higher rate. Don’t expect Wilson to be an ace, but if owners are in need of a dependable arm for spot starts in the back end of their fantasy rotation, Wilson may not be a terrible place to start.
7. Mike Wright (SP, MLB)
Stats: 44.2 IP, 6.04 ERA, 6.13 FIP, 5.24 K/9, 3.63 BB/9, 1.81 HR/9
ETA: 2016
During his career, Mike Wright has generally considered to be a better prospect than Tyler Wilson and he definitely outpitched Wilson at Triple-A to start off 2015. In spite of his higher track record of success, Wright was hit hard by Major League hitters and not even the advanced metrics could smile at his wretched 2015 showing. Don’t expect Wright to repeat his awful 2015, but owners are advised to not get their hopes up too high with Wright. At this point, he is not considered ownable.
8. David Hess (SP, AA)
Stats: (from A+) 133.1 IP, 7.43 K/9, 3.58 BB/9, 0.54 HR/9, 3.58 ERA, 2.65 FIP
ETA: 2018
David Hess pitched only briefly at Double-A last season, but it was promising to see him end his season there after a strong showing at High-A. Hess is a player with a low floor, but low ceiling due to his inability to strike people out. Until he proves he can start long term and show that he has some potential value, he is not worthy of stashing.
9. Trey Mancini (1B, AA)
Stats: 354 PA, .359/.395/.586, 13 HR, 2 SB, 6.2% BB rate, 16.4% K rate
ETA: 2017
The Orioles are lucky that if Christian Walker doesn’t pan out, they have Trey Mancini to fill in at first. Between High-A and Double-A last season, Mancini his 21 home runs which shows promise for a guy who has generally been regarded as a low power threat. Because he plays at the hitter-loaded position of first base and is currently blocked at the position by Walker, Mancini does not have a lot of potential value in the near future, but dynasty owners are advised to keep an eye on him if Walker is hurt and/or does not produce.
10. Mychal Givens (RP, MLB)
Stats: 30.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.73 FIP, 11.40 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9
ETA: 2016
Mychal Givens made his Major League debut last season and looked very sharp out of the bullpen. Owners in leagues where holds have fantasy value are advised to take note of him as he could have some value there. Owners in standard leagues can leave Givens on the waiver wire unless he moves into the role of closer.
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