The big question on everyone’s mind is why is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still in Double-A. The kid is now hitting over .400 and has been hitting mammoth blasts that travel more feet than his current batting average. You have to figure a promotion to Triple-A is imminent which propels him into the top-5 hitters in the prospect power rankings below, joining some usual faces that we’re still waiting on. He’s not the only one dominating the Eastern League either. A first base prospect in the NL East has been terrifying Eastern League pitchers this season and leads off in this week’s minor league report.

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Minor League Headlines

Peter Alonso Mashing
Without a doubt, one of the prospects that has risen his dynasty stock the most so far in 2018 is Mets first baseman, Peter Alonso. The former Florida Gator is slashing a robust .362/.478/.685/1.163 on the season with 11 home runs and nine doubles in 130 at-bats. If it wasn’t for some kid named Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Alonso would be the name getting all the recognition in the Double-A Eastern League.

I scouted Alonso live up here in Maine last week, and while he went hitless, he still impressed me with his strong lower half, quick bat speed, and patient approach at the plate. In my scouting report on Alonso, I gave him an Edwin Encarnacion statistical comparison, but with more batting average potential. Who doesn’t want that on their dynasty league team?

Alex Reyes Rehabbing
The long-awaited return for Alex Reyes is finally here. The flame-throwing right-hander hasn’t thrown a Major League pitch since September 29th, 2016 due to needing Tommy John surgery last spring. Reyes is currently rehabbing in the lower levels of the Cardinals system and the early returns have been superb. In two starts spanning 8.1 innings, Reyes has allowed just eight base runners (five hits, three walks), zero of which have scored, and struck out 18 while hitting triple-digits on the gun. That’s a 19.4 K/9 rate for those wondering.

.@AlexReyes_67 is mowing down batters tonight, strikeouts 4 & 5 on the day. He has 6 total through 3 innings! ⚾️🔥#catchthefun #STLCards pic.twitter.com/42j1Lt3zUE

— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 15, 2018

The upside here is massive, but it’s unsure exactly what role Reyes will fill in when he returns. The Cardinals have a gluttony of starting pitchers and have been struggling to find a full-time spot for Jack Flaherty. Regardless, Reyes is likely to be brought back slowly and have his innings monitored throughout the season. Even in a bullpen role, Reyes will have some value for his low ERA and high strikeout rate. He needs to be owned in all leagues.

Prospect Power Rankings

Prospects currently in the minors that can make the biggest 2018 impact.

Hitters

1. Nick Senzel (2B/3B – CIN)
So, Senzel has vertigo. That’s not ideal, but it doesn’t knock his value down one bit. It does, however, delay his debut with the Reds. Senzel hasn’t played in two weeks but appears on track to return in about a week if there are no setbacks.

2. Kyle Tucker (OF – HOU)
Tucker ended his power outage with a dinger against Salt Lake on Saturday but still has only managed a trio of homers on the season. While the power hasn’t been there, Tucker has improved in other aspects at the dish. He’s raised his walk rate from 8.8% in 2017 to 10.1% this season and currently has the highest batting average and OBP of his minor league career.

The Astros recently sent slumping Jake Marisnick to the minors but opted to call up Tony Kemp instead of Tucker. However, if they keep getting little to no production from Derek Fisher in left and Evan Gattis at DH, it won’t take much longer for the Astros to give Tucker the call.

3. Willie Calhoun (OF – TEX)
A recent 10-game hitting streak raised Calhoun’s average from .236 to .275, but like Tucker, the power is still lagging. This is starting to sound like a broken record. Calhoun is going to be up this season but is going to need to show more promise at the plate to make the promotion happen sooner rather than later.

4. Eloy Jimenez (OF – CHW)
Jimenez is hitting .350 with two home runs over his last 10 games and remains well over .300 on the season. On top of that, he’s cut his strikeout rate from 19.5% to 14.8%. Everyone is talking about the next man on this list, and rightfully so, but Jimenez is set to make a big splash sometime in the second half of the season.

5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B – TOR)
When the season first started, it seemed like there was zero chance that Vladamir Guerrero Jr. would reach Toronto during the 2018 season. The second-generation phenom just turned 19 in the middle March and had never played above A-ball before this season. Well, when you’re demolishing Double-A pitching night in and night out and hitting over .400, plans can certainly change.

When you look at Vlad’s stats, it’s mind-blowing. In 135 at-bats, he has a .415/.459/.696/1.155 slash line with 15 doubles, seven home runs, and 40 RBIs. Want more? In May, he’s hitting .464. Okay Vlad, we get it. You’re really damn good. A promotion to Triple-A Buffalo should happen any day now and a Major League debut later this season is becoming much more likely.

Pitchers

1. Michael Kopech (SP – CHW)
Kopech has had just one start since last week’s report, and to put it nicely, it didn’t go well. Okay, Kopech downright stunk. In 3.1 innings of work, he allowed eight earned runs, five hits, and walked four while striking out six. Not a great day at the office for Mr. Kopech. I’m chalking this up as a bad start, but what is a tad worrisome is that he’s walked four in back to back appearances.

2. Jack Flaherty (SP – STL)
Finally, Flaherty got another start with the Cardinals Tuesday and didn’t disappoint, going 5.2 innings allowing just five hits, one earned run, and one walk with three punchouts. Not matter if it’s Triple-A or the Majors, Flaherty just keeps pitching well. In eight combined starts, Flaherty has a 2.47 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, and 10.5 K/9. Eventually, the Cardinals are going to leave him alone and let him stay in the big league rotation. Hopefully, that time is now after his latest strong outing. Make sure he’s not floating around on your waiver wire.

3. Shane Bieber (SP – CLE)
Another day, another strong outing for Shane Bieber. Bieber shut down a talented Gwinnett Braves lineup Tuesday night allowing one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and his usual zero walks. That strong outing drops his ERA and WHIP to 1.43 and 0.85 respectively to go along with three walks and 46 strikeouts in 50.1 innings of work. Bieber is Major League ready right now and is definitely better than Josh Tomlin and his 7.84 ERA. It shouldn’t be long before the Beebs forces his way into the Indians rotation.

4. Enyel De Los Santos (SP – PHI)
After a rocky start to the game last night, De Los Santos settled down and finished with his third straight quality start, allowing three runs over 6.2 innings. The three runs equaled his season total through his first six starts and come on the heels of three straight starts with goose eggs in the earned run column. In seven starts on the season, De Los Santos has a minuscule 1.41 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 10.3 K/9. A debut sometime before the All-Star break is looking more and more likely.

5. Kolby Allard (SP – ATL)
With eight more shutout innings on Mother’s Day, Allard now has a 0.66 ERA over his last four starts. Like I’ve said before, the strikeout rate will never be overly high, but Allard has solid command of his arsenal and possesses one of the best curveballs in the minor leagues. Like with De Los Santos, a Major league debut before the All-Star break is a real possibility.

Call-Up City

Fantasy-relevant prospects that have recently gotten the call or a call-up is imminent.

Franmil Reyes (OF – SD)
Do you like power? Well, let me introduce you to Franmil Reyes. The hulking 6’5, 240-pound outfielder cranked 14 home runs and seven doubles in just 130 Triple-A at-bats before getting the call to San Diego. That’s great and all, but Reyes has shown less than desirable contact skills in the minors and isn’t guaranteed to play every day. If you’re desperate for power, he’s worth a look in leagues of 12+ teams, but that’s about it.

Anthony Banda (SP – TB)
A pitcher like Banda is EXACTLY what you call a “decent” prospect. Decent, but nothing more than that. His left-handed fastball sits in the 92-94 range and he pairs that with an inconsistent, yet promising curveball. That’s where the positives end. Banda has never had much of a change-up and his control can get him into trouble at times. With all the injuries in the Rays rotation, Banda is likely up for at least a few starts but his upside is better suited for AL-Only or very deep standard leagues.

Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL)
Peralta dazzled in his Major League debut striking out 13 over 5.2 innings of shutout ball at Coors Field. That’s impressive, even if the Rockies aren’t quite the same offensive team as they usually are. But we all need to pump the brakes a little bit. Peralta was sporting a 3.63 ERA and 1.36 WHIP at Triple-A and has an underwhelming arsenal that doesn’t scream future Major League ace. His fastball sits in the low 90’s and while his off-speed stuff is serviceable, he doesn’t have a true plus pitch. With that being said, the Brewers rotation isn’t exactly a powerhouse, so expect them to give Peralta a long look which should lead to some sneaky good back-end mixed-league value.

Clint Frazier (OF – NYY)
Remember when Clint Frazier was one of the top 20 prospects in baseball? Seems like forever ago. Now, he’s more of an afterthought than a desirable prospect target. An .814 career minor league OPS is nothing to scoff at, but it’s fair to say he hasn’t progressed as much as the Yankees and fantasy owners had hoped for over the last two-plus seasons. Bringing up Frazier was a depth move, so he can be left on the waiver wire in all fantasy formats.

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Eric Cross is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Eric, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @EricCross04.