Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rating System

By
Josh Culp
Published: February 2, 2010Posted in: Fantasy Sports, MLB

We have rated a lot of baseball prospects over the past few years, but have no system in place to rank these prospects. Until now. The new system will be used to determine a baseball prospect’s future as a Major League Fantasy Baseball Player. It will consist of seven batting categories, and seven pitching categories. Each category will be given a letter grade (A-F). Each letter will then hold a numerical value. The maximum value any prospect can earn is 80 points.

Batting Categories

  1. Power. How often does the prospect go for extra bases?
  2. Contact. How often can the prospect get on-base safely?
  3. Speed. Do opposing pitchers fear them on the base paths? Do they take the extra base?
  4. Approach. Is there a hitch in the swing? Is the hitter over-aggressive?
  5. Opportunity. Will poor defense hurt his chances to play? Is the prospect stuck behind a perennial All-Star?
  6. Hype. Do scouts see what the numbers don’t? Is there a big-market bias?
  7. Intangibles. Does the prospect have an injury history? Is the prospect going to play his home games at PETCO? Is the prospect really 15 years old?

Pitching Categories

  1. Power. Can the prospect strikeout a couple batters to stop a rally?
  2. Contact. Can the prospect come back from a 3-0 count to prevent a walk?
  3. Stamina. Does the pitcher have the skills to last as a Starter, or is he destined for bullpen work?
  4. Approach. Poor mechanics? Does the prospect “throw” rather than “pitch”?
  5. Arsenal. How many major league quality pitches does the prospect have?
  6. Hype. Do scouts see what the numbers don’t? Is there a big-market bias?
  7. Intangibles. Does the prospect have an injury history? Is the prospect going to play his home games at Coors Field? Is the prospect really 15 years old?

Now that we have a system in place, be on the look out for upcoming prospect spotlights, as well as a Top 25 Fantasy Prospects list.

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