Fantasy Baseball 2022 Rankings: Highlighting Top Prospects to Target
Bobby Witt Jr.'s arrival in the Kansas City Royals lineup has been one of the most anticipated debuts in Major League Baseball.
And the 21-year-old fueled that hype by hitting 33 home runs between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha in 2021.
Witt has a chance to make the Royals' Opening Day roster, which is why he should be the No. 1 prospect to target in fantasy baseball drafts.
The infielder may be better prepared to make an instant impact because of the success he had over the last two years in the minors and the extra time he had in spring training this season.
Witt isn't the only top prospect to target in fantasy baseball drafts, but he will be the most coveted option.
Bobby Witt Jr., IF, Kansas City
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Bobby Witt Jr.'s potential inclusion in the Kansas City Royals' Opening Day lineup would be one of the most buzzworthy news items of the MLB start.
Witt lit up minor-league pitching over the last two seasons. He played rookie league ball in 2019 and then started at Double-A in 2021. There was no minor-league season in 2020.
Witt had 144 hits and 33 home runs in his split time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last season.
The No. 1 prospect in baseball, per MLB.com, has a shot to make the Opening Day roster at third base.
The presence of Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop and Nicky Lopez at second base blocks Witt's path to start out his MLB career in the middle infield spots.
Witt got a jump on his 2022 preparations because he reported to minor-league camp while the collective bargaining agreement was being finalized.
The extra weeks in Arizona could help Witt hit the ground running in April, while some of the MLB veterans are working to get up to speed after a short spring training.
Even if he does not make the Opening Day roster, Witt is expected to play most of the 2022 season in Kansas City and he should be targeted at some point of your fantasy baseball draft.
Riley Greene, Of, Detroit
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The Detroit Tigers are the team to watch when it comes to prospect call-ups.
Outfielder Riley Greene and first baseman Spencer Torkelson are expected to make their debuts at some point in the 2022 season.
Greene was an on-base machine during his two stops in the minor league in 2021. He finished the campaign with 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 146 hits.
Greene would be Detroit's every day centerfielder if he makes the roster straight out of training camp.
MLB.com's No. 5 overall prospect had a .921 OPS and .387 on-base percentage at Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo last season.
Greene should get on base at a high rate in Detroit, and if he hits near the top of the lineup, he could score a good amount of runs with Jonathan Schoop, Miguel Cabrera and Javier Baez hitting behind him.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit
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Torkelson and Greene could leave Spring Training as major-league players.
The first baseman hit 30 home runs across three minor-league levels in 2021.
Torkelson will be asked to provide power to the Detroit lineup, but he will not be the primary source of home runs when he first enters the lineup.
Detroit could surround Torkelson with its experienced sluggers, like Baez, Cabrera, Schoop and Robbie Grossman.
That should keep some of the pressure off Torkelson as he adjusts to major-league pitching in April. It could also open up more run-producing opportunities.
Torkelson and Greene should be mid-to-late-round fantasy baseball draft selections because of how close they are to the majors and the impact they could make right away in that lineup.
Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference.
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