- 2039 WAR figures are through July 20, 2039 and projected out for the rest of the season
- Salary figures in grey italics are projected arbitration totals
- Players selected in the 2039 First Year Draft were not considered for the list due to lack of professional experience
Here's #30 up to #11, with the top ten to be unveiled on Monday evening:
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#30 - Orlando Ordóñez, Omaha, CF
Despite a lackluster start in Triple A, Omaha management thought the teenage Cuban centerfielder was ready to help the big league club and called him up. In his first 77 games in the Brewster, Ordóñez has struggled mightily but the Hawks are hoping it's just growing pains for the former #2 prospect in baseball. Ordóñez will have plenty of time to figure it all out, as he's under team control for six more seasons.
#29 - Millard Younger, Atlantic City, CF
Only two years removed from being drafted, Younger has quickly become one of the more surprising standouts in the Brewster, on-pace to average more than 6 wins above replacement in his first two major league seasons. A toolsy with a high-floor, Younger has one year remaining on the major league contract he signed out of college, so he'll be making big bucks sooner than most 22-year-olds. Even as his salary rises through arbitration, Younger will provide plenty of value as one of the best CFs in the game.
#28 - Sergei Hopkins, San Fernando, SP
Hopkins' first two full seasons in the Brewster have seemingly gone under the radar. To some, the southpaw is on the precipice of breaking out into a superstar while to others, he's just a solid, young pitcher who's filled in admirably in the wake of staff ace Feliciano Rafael's 2039 injury. The promise of a 6+ WAR season is within reach and since that’s incredibly rare to find with multiple years of cost control, "The Russian Rocket" remains a valuable asset for the Bears.
#27 - Jorge Álvarez, San Antonio, SP
Álvarez is an extremely interesting case and sure to be a topic of discussion. After a strong, but brief call-up in 2037 as a 20-year-old (2-1, 1 SV, 2.56 ERA, 0.95 WHIP in 31 IP), the former 8th-round selection suffered an elbow injury in spring training and was forced to miss all of 2038 from Tommy John surgery. For whatever reason, San Antonio decided turn Álvarez into a starting pitcher this season and it's looked like a genius move. Despite the injury history and scouts believing he will struggle with control, Álvarez's stuff and three-pitch repertoire is off-the-charts and the idea of him getting better as starting pitcher sends chills down the spines of opposing front offices.
#26 - Yrrigs Carpenter, San Antonio, SP
Carpenter's ugly 2039 season (4-6, 5.25 ERA) looks like an outlier from his first two seasons in the BBA (combined 26-14, 3.13 ERA), and he'd certainly be listed higher if not for the struggles. But when you have the reigning Nebraska Award-winner under team-control for three more years, you can't complain.
#25 - Juan Rivera, Atlantic City, CF
The #5 prospect in baseball, Rivera has risen through the minors in 2039, hitting over .330 and on-pace for almost 40 HR across three levels. Currently in Triple A and only one year removed from being drafted, Rivera is the sort of five-tool talent front offices dream of. Atlantic City is one of the worst franchises in the Brewster, so while a player of Rivera's talent is much needed, it's not sure how quickly the Gamblers will want to start the clock on Rivera's service time in the majors. Either way, Rivera is an elite talent with as much value as he has promise.
#24 - Jim Armstrong, New Orleans, SP
At a time when young, team-controlled pitching talent is as valuable as ever, the Crawdads have it in spades, in both the majors with Armstrong, Mitsuo Tenno, Yoshimatsu Yamaguchi, and Jerry Pacy, as well in the minors (Cristián García and Gilberto Nevárez). Armstrong's stuff and makeup is off the charts and his fine sophomore campaign has seen his value rise. Armstrong -- or anyone one of New Orleans' young arms -- could headline almost any deal to add whatever the big league club feels it needs to win their first Landis since 2019.
#23 - Jefferson Pierce, Calgary, SP
One of two Pioneer pitchers to make the top fifty (#31 Edwin Gilliam), Pierce's improvement for a second-straight season has been music to Calgary's ears and cause the rest of the league to listen up. Drafted third overall by Nashville in 2034 and inked to an astonishing $20M signing bonus, "Black Lightning" ascended as high as the #10 prospect in the BBA before being traded to Calgary in 2035. It looks as if Calgary won the deal, as the principle players going to Nashville are no longer on the team and accumulated less than 9 WAR in the five years since the deal, while the Pioneers have themselves an All-Star pitcher with big-time value.
#22 - Manuel Martínez, Jacksonville, 1B
Martínez was initially much higher in early versions of this year's list, but as the season has gone on, Martínez has not looked like the hitter of previous years and his one-dimensional approach has been noted by scouts across the league. Factor in the cheapest years of arbitration are all but over and Martínez will start making over $6M per year. Sure, it's a deal for 5-WAR potential, but as a glorified designated hitter, the Hurricanes will want to see more offensive growth from Martínez or his value will continue to diminish as he approaches free agency.
#21 - Jimmy Starks, Jr., Omaha, LF
For the last four seasons, Starks has been a solid, consistent player in Omaha, putting up between 2.8-3.5 WAR while playing out arbitration. Possibly seeing a breakout on the horizon, Omaha locked up Starks with a six-year extension in April 2038 and he's rewarded the Hawks with the 7th-best WAR amongst offensive players this year. Starks makes more money than most one this list but his contract has the potential to be team-friendly: not only is the deal front-loaded, but Starks could opt-out after 2042 and hit free agency. Whether or not Junior plays out the entirety of his Omaha contract remains to be seen, but regardless, the two-time All-Star and 2033 Puckett Award-winner possesses great value.
#20 - Liann-wei Mao, Calgary, 1B
Mao is the second-highest first baseman -- a position where huge production is required to translate into any sort of open-market value -- and for good reason: "The Chairman" has the third highest WAR among the 2039 rookie class and was named to the Frick League All-Star team. A scouting discovery out of Taiwan in 2035, when Mao hit for the Triple Crown during the 2037 Winter League, it was a sign of things to come. Mao has the chance to be a very special hitter for a very long time.
#19 - Mario Barrera, New Orleans, 3B
Barrera is one of the least exciting guys to make this list, as he wasn’t a hyped prospect and he doesn’t have super loud tools or a bunch of notable highlights. That said, he does just about everything well and nothing poorly, he’s durable, he's about to enter his prime, and under cheap control for the next four seasons. Already a two-time All-Star, Barrera profiles to be one of the top three or four third basemen in the entire BBA for the next decade or more.
#18 - Dong-po Thum, Yellow Springs, SS
A contrast from Barrera, Thum has been on the radar of scouts and front offices since 2035 when he was signed out of China. Ranked as high as the #4 prospect in baseball, Thum is in the middle of a nice rookie season. Arguably a more natural third baseman, Thum can play an above-average shortstop to go along with game-changing speed and plus bat skills and this versatility lands him inside the top 20 for value.
#17 - Don Smith, Des Moines, SP
Scouts thought it may two or three years until we see Smith in the BBA, but Des Moines has already pushed the teenager up to Triple A despite being drafted only fourteen months ago. The 4th overall selection in 2038 was recently named the #2 prospect in the BBA prior to the 2039 Draft, which can generate value on its own by those who rely on such rankings. Smith carries the most value for any pitcher who has yet to see the majors and gives Des Moines one of the more valuable trade chips (or building blocks) in the league.
#16 - Carlos Valle, Yellow Springs, SP
After being named to his first All-Star team and putting up an incredible 7+ WAR season, Yellow Springs quickly bought out Valle's remaining arbitration years with a three-year, $18M extension. Valle is having a fine follow-up in 2039, more in line with his typical 4 WAR production but even if last year was an outlier, locking up a young, extremely reliable and popular pitcher under market value is a fantastic move for any organization.
#15 - Rocky Allen, Jacksonville, CF
More of a darling of the analytic crown than of scouts, Allen is one of only two players in the top 28 with a sub-70 potential rating. Allen's breakout season this year has put his name in the argument for "Best Centerfielder Not Named Dennis". The native Canadian has always been known for his defense and speed but this year he's added some pop to an already above-average hitting profile. Jacksonville has the luxury of one more season at league minimum until Allen's arbitration numbers start climbing but for now, he's one of the more valuable assets in the league.
#14 - Ramón Pagán, Valencia, CF
Pagán was thought of as a slam dunk prospect back when he was selected with the #2 overall pick back in 2034. In his first three seasons, "Waco" has been a solid, young centerfielder, averaging over 2.6 WAR per year, but it wasn't quite the impact that scouts had hoped for, even at such a young age. While his skills haven't filled out as quick as Valencia has hoped, Pagán is having a remarkable breakout year and trying to become just the third player in BBA history to record a 50 HR/50 SB season (Ettienne LaFitte went 52/55 in 2034 and Alfredo Martinez went 50/65 in 2027...Pagán is on-pace to go 51/46.) Still just 22 and under team control for a couple of more seasons, Pagán's raw tools still provide tremendous value in centerfield.
#13 - Ángel Zalapa, Valencia, SS
#12 - Alex Ramírez, Wichita, SS
The debate between Zalapa v. Ramírez will be interesting, as they are the same age, play the same premiere position and have put up similar WAR over the past three seasons. We felt they were hands-down the two most valuable shortstops in the Brewster, a position where even the most modest production is greatly rewarded in free agency. We landed on ever-so-slightly favoring Ramírez but in the end, they were ranked back-to-back in a universe of over 5,000 players.
If you prefer Zalapa, you find his plus-defense at shortstop (and second base) more valuable than Ramirez's above-average at short (as well as first base, but it means more versatility than value.) You probably like his huge 2038 campaign that earned him the Silk Award in the Frick and when you look at their overall ratings, you think Zalapa's got one more offensive gear than Ramírez.
If you find Ramírez the more valuable asset, you cherish that extra year of team control. Those on Team Ramírez also think his ability to change the game on the base-paths makes him the more well-rounded and dangerous player. Add his ability to switch-hit successfully and off-the-charts make-up and personality that has made him one of the faces of the league, and you can make the case he's the more valuable shortstop to his respective team.
#11 - Francisco Flores, Rockville, C
When Flores debuted in the Brewster as an 18-year-old, he showed exactly why he was considered a generational player, averaging 3.6 WAR per year for his first five seasons. However in 2038, Flores jumped another level and went on to lead the league in WAR. Rockville saw his incredible value and signed him to a six-year extension for $67.6M and it's paid off, as Flores is on-pace to better last year's numbers. Flores can opt out after 2041 and the last year of his deal is a player options, so the overall deal could be shorter than Rockville intended. Even so, Flores is on a Hall of Fame trajectory and path to be the greatest catcher in Brewster history and there's incredible value that comes with that, especially under $11M per year.
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Thoughts? Comments? Through #50 to #11, who'd we rank too high? Too low? Who would make your top ten?
