SPECULATOR: Post-hype prospects for 2019

They're not all Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña.

The adjustment to MLB competition often includes some early struggles and minor league demotions, even for the most talented prospects. Those that don't catch on right away frequently become ignored, and this is where some fantasy hay can be made. A few 2018 names whose breakouts came a couple years later than expected: Blake Snell, Trevor Bauer, LAA teammates Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney, and even Jurickson Profar. This group had a few things in common:

  • Lofty rankings on previous HQ100 prospect lists.
  • One or more failed stints at the major league level.
  • A reasonable path to playing time entering the season.

We'll use this loose set of filters to find post-hype prospects who could...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Speculator

Reviewing the entire list of "UP:" batters with thoughts on those whose outlooks may have changed.
Jan 21 2026 3:02am
A look back at some early/mid-season Speculator calls to see how things shook out.
Sep 17 2025 3:08am
Our annual exercise of giving out second chances to those who, frankly, stunk up the joint in 2025.
Sep 10 2025 3:11am
Can we extract fantasy value from September auditions? Plus, a quick check on how team schedules shake out over the final month.
Aug 27 2025 3:06am
A mid-summer check on whose skills have improved or faded the most from the beginning of the season.
Aug 20 2025 3:06am

Tools