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

If history is any guide, this year's end-of-season Top 15 will come from all stages of the draft.
Mar 18 2026 3:08am
What lessons can we apply from Drew Rasmussen's 2025 breakout to this year's player pool?
Mar 11 2026 8:36am
Applying lessons learned from George Springer's 2025 breakout to this year's player pool
Mar 4 2026 3:04am
This week's exercise is all about picking holes to help avoid early-round busts.
Feb 25 2026 3:10am
Sure, they struggled last year, but if we remove some recency bias, granting mulligans could be a lucrative exercise.
Feb 18 2026 3:06am

Tools