A.J. Puk

There are three words that are synonymous with buy-low pitcher targets: Tommy John surgery. What used to be a curse for pitchers, now isn't so terrifying to think about. Sure, the pitcher will miss anywhere from 12 to 18 months, but pitchers are coming back just as strong, if not stronger than they were pre-surgery. Two of the four pitchers discussed below are the latest big name pitching prospects to tussle with that pest, Tommy John. But even with them missing the 2018 season, and likely a little of 2019, their upside…

Don't go getting all excited. I'm not updating my rankings quite yet. That will come around the All-Star break. What I am doing is taking a look at the top minor league pitching prospects to see how they're performing in the minor leagues so far this season. Think of this as one of the appetizers to my mid-season rankings update. The side salad with ranch dressing on the side, if you will. Around this time next month, you'll get your second appetizer, likely some soup, before getting the prime rib of prospect updates in…

As we get closer to the top of these rankings, I’m finding it harder and harder to limit how much I write about each prospect. Can you really blame me? These aren't your run-of-the-mill prospects in this article. No, sir. These are elite stud prospects with tantalizing upside that are about to explode all over the MLB landscape.As you'll see pretty quickly, the terms "ace-caliber" and "elite tools" enter the discussion plenty of times below. You won't find any power or speed-only players below, either. As we continue to…

The Oakland Athletics' playoff chances have been gone for quite some time now. At 64-81, they sit in the basement of the American League West. However, their newly upgraded top 10 prospect list is loaded with talent and has the future looking bright for the A's. With most Minor League seasons in the books, here's how the A's top 10 prospects did in 2017. 10. James Kaprielian, RHPAge: 23 Draft: 2015, Round 1(16) - NYY Acquired by trade in 20172017 stats: Has not played. The A's acquired Kaprielian at the…

In last week's Dynasty Dugout, we looked into four post-hype prospects that have struggled thus far at the major league level. This week we switch over to every dynasty league owner's favorite topic.For those of us that play in dynasty leagues, prospects are basically as valuable as our own children. Okay, maybe that’s a bit far, but you get the point. The beauty of prospects is that no one really knows how good they can really be. For every person that thinks one prospect will be the next Mike Trout or Bryce Harper,…