Tyler Glasnow grabs No. 1 spot in fantasy prospect rankings

ByTOMMY RANCEL
June 29, 2016, 9:31 AM

— -- The names keep flying off this board as new prospects are seemingly called up on an almost daily basis these days. In trying to keep up with who has come, and who may be coming, let's put aside the pleasantries and get down to business.

Our focus along the Houston Astros' infield has been on Alex Bregman in recent weeks, but A.J. Reed beat him to the punch. Reed has appeared on our list before, and he was Keith Law's minor league player of the year for 2015; that said, the slugger had struggled upon promotion to Triple-A until recently. He hit .266/.345/.509 with 11 home runs overall, but he was hitting .282 with 14 extra-base hits (five home runs) in June before his promotion.

Reed is a big dude, and there have been questions about his bat speed in the past. There will be some swings and misses, but loud contact in between. Most importantly, he should have the opportunity to work through any issues. His spring competition, Tyler White, failed in his first go-round with the Astros, and Jon Singleton is making millions to play poorly in Fresno. Reed has the most upside and should be afforded some extra leash.

Brandon Nimmo also made his major-league debut during the weekend, taking over for the recently demoted Michael Conforto. The 13th overall pick in 2011 has taken the scenic route to the majors, stopping at six different levels en route to the ultimate one. Nimmo is a well-balanced prospect without a true carrying tool; instead, he does a bit of everything at an average or slightly above rate.

I am a bit lower on Nimmo than others, and higher on Conforto despite this year's struggles. There will be room for both of them one day in the Mets' outfield, but for now I would still take the latter over the former despite their current roster positioning. As for Nimmo or Reed, I'll take the risk with Reed, who may be up-and-down with production but has a clearer path to playing time.

Who will be next?

1. Tyler Glasnow RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

Last week's rank: 3

Impact categories: W, K

Current level: Triple-A