Top Prospects from 2020 MLB Spring Training to Target for Fantasy Drafts

The official start time and general status of the 2020 MLB season remains unknown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Monday the regular season would not begin in April. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported sometime in May would mark a best-case scenario for the commencement of the regular season.

Spring training has been suspended, and the MLB announced all activities would be stopped while also allowing players to return to their respective homes, should they so desire.

At this time, however, it seems the season will indeed take place, at least at some point. This means fantasy baseball players have time to consider some of the prospects they could look to draft.

A number of young players showed out at spring training prior to the suspension of play, and some of the best prospects in baseball are expected to make their big league debuts at some point in 2020.

With this in mind, here are some of the up-and-coming stars to keep an eye on in fantasy baseball leagues.

Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox

The White Sox made a hefty commitment to Luis Robert when they signed him to a six-year, $50 million extension before he played in his first big league game. However, Chicago already set this precedent by doing the same with fellow outfielder Eloy Jimenez last spring.

Robert was a menace in the minor leagues in 2019. He slashed .328/.376/.624 with 32 homers and 36 stolen bases across three different levels last season, and he will almost certainly be the starting center fielder on Opening Day.

The 22-year-old was impressive during spring training, too, slashing .333/.394/.567 with a homer and three stolen bases in 33 plate appearances. He showcased the kind of skills that make him such a marquee prospect: plus hit tool, power and speed. Robert was not caught stealing this spring, and he can stuff multiple categories for fantasy owners.

There might be a tendency for drafters to reach on Robert given his potential and the fact he will play immediately, but he has arguably the highest upside of any rookie position player in the bigs.

Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays

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The Blue Jays made a number of additions to their starting rotation this past winter. They signed 2019 ERA champion Hyun-Jin Ryu in addition to veterans Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson in an effort to bolster their pitching staff alongside a group of young and talented position players.

Do not forget about Nate Pearson. Toronto's top prospect has an electric fastball that touches the upper-90s, and he pairs that with a hard-biting slider in the upper-80s.

Like Robert, Pearson also played at three levels in 2019. He went 5-4 with a 2.30 ERA in 25 starts, including a 2.59 ERA in 16 Double-A starts.

The 23-year-old might make the big league roster out of camp after a strong spring. Pearson allowed one run and two hits across seven innings of work, posting 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

He will have to establish his command in the majors (3.9 walks per nine innings this spring), but there is no reason Pearson cannot become an impact arm for a Blue Jays team that will need their starters to go deep into games if they hope to take the next step forward in the American League East. He could be this year's version of Chris Paddack.

Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels

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The Angels were insistent on keeping Jo Adell this past winter even as they discussed trading for arms like Corey Kluber, which is indicative of the organization's belief he could be in the bigs in the near future.

Adell played at four levels last year, slashing .289/.359/.475 with 10 homers and seven stolen bases, though he struggled in limited action at Triple-A with a .676 OPS.

Still, other than Mike Trout and Justin Upton, the Angels are not set in the outfield. Brian Goodwin figures to start in right field, but it is not incomprehensible to believe Odell could climb the ladder if he improves his walk rate and makes adjustments at the Triple-A level.

Not to mention, Adell is likely to be available in the late rounds of any fantasy draft, as owners might not be willing to select him based on the fact he will probably start the year in the minors.

MacKenzie Gore, San Diego Padres

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MacKenzie Gore is the No. 5 prospect in the MLB.com Top 100, and he has long been hailed as San Diego's best pitching prospect. His chances of eventually making the big league club also improved when the Friars traded former start Nick Margevicius to the Milwaukee Brewers.

That said, Gore was shaky in a small sample size during spring training. The 21-year-old walked a pair and gave up three earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. But again, very small sample size.

It seems likely Gore starts the season in the minors. He dominated in High-A ball but threw just 21 2/3 innings at Double-A. The Padres shut Gore down in August after he hit the Injured List on three separate occasions, and they are clearly being cautious with rtheir top prospect.

Like Adell, Gore could be a late-round steal. Should he remain healthy and work out some of the kinks in the minors, he can be a strikeout pitcher with electric stuff. He might be worth a selection for a Padres team that needs their youngsters to accelerate the development process.

All stats obtained via Baseball Reference, unless otherwise noted.