Welcome to this 12 months’s rating of the highest 100 prospects in baseball. I’ve been compiling and writing such rankings for 18 years now, and people of you who’ve learn them earlier than will discover the format right here just like these from the latest previous.
My farm stories protecting at the least 20 prospects in every group’s system, plus notes on prospects who may seem within the majors this 12 months or is perhaps breakout prospects for the 2026 rankings, will seem the week of Feb. 3.
For the second 12 months in a row, the newest draft class is well-represented within the high 100; final 12 months’s checklist had 20 gamers from the 2023 draft class, and this 12 months’s checklist has 15, with extra showing on the “prospects who just missed” column that may run on Wednesday. The 2024 draft was not superb, however the minors proper now … the minors should not good, my associates. It’s simply not very deep, and attending to 100 names I felt good about was as exhausting because it has ever been.
A few of it’s the rising tempo with which groups are calling up high prospects, as 12 of my high 20 prospects from final 12 months’s checklist have graduated, however the larger trigger, for my part, is the pressured contraction of the minor leagues again in 2021, which has rushed extra gamers to Low A earlier than they have been prepared and usually shrunk the time groups are giving to prospects who want extra improvement.
Even guys who wrestle in A-ball have a tendency to maneuver up as a result of gamers are coming proper behind them who want these at-bats or innings, and the result’s extra guys stalling out or regressing or simply by no means taking the step ahead that scouts and/or analysts anticipated. With continued rumors that MLB desires to chop one more complete rung from the minors, this 12 months’s high 100 ought to be a stark warning that the league is making an attempt its greatest to strangle the goose that lays the golden eggs.
To be eligible for this checklist, a participant should nonetheless retain Rookie of the 12 months eligibility for 2025, and don’t have any expertise in NPB/KBO, as these are main leagues and calling, say, Roki Sasaki a “prospect” is fairly foolish (to not point out it takes up the house I’d slightly use on an precise prospect).
I additionally don’t embrace the worldwide free brokers who simply signed in January, since in almost all circumstances these guys haven’t been scouted by different groups in a 12 months or extra. I do know of 1 such man who was underneath a verbal settlement with the group that signed him earlier than he turned 13. Nobody has an up-to-date scouting report on him. That’s simply not occurring.
I are likely to favor upside in prospects greater than certainty, however there may be worth in each. A participant who’s all ceiling and no flooring isn’t as useful, within the commerce market now or in contemplating his anticipated worth in the long run, as one who has a considerably decrease ceiling however a a lot larger flooring. I need gamers who is perhaps stars. After that, I need gamers who is perhaps above-average large leaguers — however I additionally attempt to remember that many of those prospects received’t attain their ceilings, and to contemplate what different eventualities exist for his or her futures.
I exploit “seasonal age” for gamers, which is their age on July 1, 2025, the midpoint of the calendar. I exploit the 20-80 scale for instruments (or 2-8 — identical scale, totally different dialect), the place 50 is common, 60 is plus, 40 is nicely under common, 80 is Pete Crow-Armstrong’s protection, and 20 is Yasmani Grandal’s foot velocity. I attempt to focus on gamers’ instruments, their frames, their stage of athleticism and different bodily attributes, in addition to their expertise, their aptitude, and different psychological or mental attributes as nicely.
That is similar to how major-league groups consider gamers, though they may all the time have the benefit of entry to extra and higher information than these of us on the skin can get. The least I can do is attempt to replicate how the trade thinks about gamers, and provide the most correct doable image of the prospects in these rankings via each the lens of my very own evaluations and people of the folks inside the trade whom I most belief.
When referring to beginning pitchers, I acknowledge that that position continues to be evolving and we don’t have 200-inning guys anymore, with lots of “five-and-dive” (throw 5 innings and hit the showers) or twice-through-the-order guys, however I’ll nonetheless discuss league-average starters and typically check with back-end (fourth or fifth starters) or above-average (ace, No. 2, and a few No. 3) starters. Keep in mind that there’s a vary round any projection or prediction for a participant — if I say I feel somebody’s a No. 4 starter, he might need a ceiling as a No. 3 or extra, and the ground of a center reliever or a bulk reliever, the place the No. 4 starter projection is the probably or median end result I see.
And now, on to the rankings …
Loading
Strive altering or resetting your filters to see extra.
Anthony has shot via the minors, reaching Triple A in his second full professional season out of highschool, due to the most effective swings in the entire minors and an especially superior strategy for a hitter so younger. A 2022 second-round decide, Anthony modified his setup that offseason, liberating up his arms to loosen his complete swing via contact whereas additionally getting his hips and legs extra concerned to assist him hit the ball more durable, and it paid off nearly instantly.
Since his early 2023 promotion to Excessive A, he’s hit .294/.405/.521 throughout three ranges, ending final season in Triple A with as many walks as strikeouts at that cease. His common exit velocity for Triple-A Worcester was 88 mph, though he did begin to hit the ball on the bottom extra (52 p.c) in that temporary stint, not a significant concern however one thing to observe as he will get so near a promotion to the majors. He’s very disciplined for his age, chasing simply 20 p.c of the time in Triple A, with a whiff fee underneath 9 p.c, selecting up spin very nicely even at a stage when he was going through guys who’d pitched within the majors.
Anthony has principally performed middle within the minors, however he’s not very rangy and he’s perhaps a mean runner, so he’s more likely to finish up in a nook, supplanted in middle by somebody with plus vary. He’s received an opportunity to be a 30-homer, high-average, high-OBP man in proper area, perhaps with plus protection there, which is a “best player in the league” profile.
Walcott began the 12 months in Excessive A as an 18-year-old, becoming a member of Ethan Salas as the one gamers that younger to begin 2024 anyplace above Low A, and he began very slowly, hitting simply .196/.326/.315 via the top of Might. From then on, he cooked, hitting .296/.351/.511 till a late-season promotion to Double A, in order that on the entire he ended the 12 months with an OBP 17 factors above the Sally League common and a slugging proportion 78 factors above it — all because the league’s youngest common.
The Bahamian-born Walcott appears like a person amongst boys, as he’s 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5 and clearly greater than his listed 190 kilos, with a large body that’s going to let him pack on some higher physique energy. He’s a superb athlete with above-average velocity and will get very excessive marks for his really feel for the sport, together with his capacity to make in-game and in-season changes. He’s received great bat velocity and already produces exhausting contact at a really excessive fee, so there’s each motive to hope he is usually a 30-homer man with a excessive common even when his strikeout fee stays within the 24-25 p.c vary.
Walcott is a shortstop now, and never unhealthy there, however he’s extraordinarily more likely to outgrow the place — he’s going to be bigger than Carlos Correa or Corey Seager, two larger guys who defied expectations to stay at brief. At worst, you’ve received a proper fielder who hits for common and energy. He received’t even flip 19 till the primary week of March, so he has loads of time to maintain turning these immense bodily presents into baseball expertise. I feel he’s underrated already, and he’s my decide to be the No. 1 prospect a 12 months from now.
Basallo is perhaps hopelessly blocked in the mean time by Adley Rutschman, however he’s the most effective catching prospect in baseball proper now, having produced at each stage up via Double A earlier than his twentieth birthday whereas exhibiting sufficient instruments and athleticism to challenge as an above-average defender. Signed for a $1.3 million bonus in January 2021, Basallo has a incredible swing that’s brief to the ball however exhausting sufficient to supply plus energy already, with extra to come back as he matures. He’s proven glorious plate self-discipline thus far, and has hit left-handed pitching extraordinarily nicely all through his profession, avoiding the platoon issues that bedevil so many left-handed hitting prospects.
Even in a troublesome debut in Triple A, the place he actually struggled to regulate to changeups, he nonetheless topped 110 mph (off a lefty!) and averaged 91 mph throughout all balls he put into play. He’s received at the least a 70 arm and is athletic sufficient to turn into a 55 receiver and blocker, though proper now he’s succeeding extra on his pure bodily capacity and wishes extra polish on the finer factors of catching.
Basallo will in all probability be prepared for a big-league position by the top of 2025, which can current an enormous dilemma for the Orioles, as they’re one of many solely groups in baseball for whom he wouldn’t be an enormous improve behind the plate — and if Rutschman is “just” a 3-4 WAR participant, as he’s been the final two years, I’m not so certain that he’s the higher possibility.
Jenkins has earned comparisons to Larry Walker since he was a highschool junior, which I all the time suspected was at the least a bit of bit pushed by his first identify, however there are extra similarities than that. Jenkins can be a tall, athletic, and really sturdy left-handed-hitting nook outfielder, and he’s superior rapidly via the low minors when wholesome by exhibiting distinctive swing selections — he seldom swings and misses (simply 17.5 p.c final 12 months) and doesn’t chase pitches out of the zone fairly often (24.6 p.c), uncommon for a hitter of his measurement and energy potential.
He has a incredible left-handed swing that will get him to the ball rapidly and places the ball within the air extra typically than on the bottom, whereas he’s proven the flexibility to go the opposite approach when pitchers attempt to assault him on the outer third. That really feel to hit as a 19-year-old who’s already reached Double A is a part of what makes him so thrilling as a prospect; he already can hit, and there’s measurement and energy right here for plus energy as he continues to develop and develop.
He’s principally performed middle within the minors, however I nonetheless assume he’s heading to proper area between his measurement and simply common velocity thus far. He additionally missed nearly two months to begin 2024 with a hamstring damage, so he hasn’t performed a full season but. He ought to return to Double A to begin 2025, and if he stays wholesome, I wouldn’t be shocked in any respect to see him get a call-up in September given how a lot exhausting contact he’s already making as a teen.
If Emerson had stayed wholesome all 12 months, he would have been near the very high of this checklist, simply based mostly on how good he regarded and the way nicely he carried out when he was in a position to take the sphere. The twenty second decide in 2023, Emerson went to Low A to begin final 12 months as an 18-year-old — his birthday is in late July — and hit .293/.440/.427 in 40 video games, strolling greater than he struck out. The Mariners bumped him as much as Excessive A in early August, and he hit .225/.331/.317 in 29 video games there — however nonetheless made loads of contact — after which hit .370/.436/.537 as one of many youngest gamers within the Arizona Fall League.
The unhealthy information is that he performed a complete of 83 video games between the common season and the AFL, hitting the IL in April with an indirect pressure, breaking a bone in his foot by fouling a ball off it in mid-Might, after which leaving Arizona in early November after straining a hamstring. He’s performed about 80 p.c of his professional innings at shortstop and has proven the vary and instincts to remain there, though he’s simply a mean runner; if his propensity to get harm continues as he matures, he could also be higher served shifting to 3rd or second, however he’s a lot extra useful at brief that he’ll in all probability keep there at the least via the excessive minors.
He has the entire components to be a hitter for a excessive common and OBP, with a brief path to the ball, glorious bat velocity and a robust strategy for his age. He may solely lack the facility to get to the higher echelons of MLB place gamers, however he additionally has an additional 12 months (so to talk) to develop that when in comparison with different elite shortstop prospects.
Clark was the third decide within the loaded 2023 draft, and whereas I do know some Tigers followers gnashed their enamel when Wyatt Langford (taken fourth) reached the majors final spring, Clark is without doubt one of the perfect prospects within the minors and nonetheless tasks as a star, particularly coming off a really sturdy 2024. Taking part in at simply 19 the complete season, Clark hit .286/.386/.421 within the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, then hit .264/.344/.421 after a July promotion to Excessive A, whereas stealing 29 bases in 33 makes an attempt on the 12 months.
His pitch recognition and choice stay very sturdy — he whiffed simply 8.1 p.c of the time he swung in Low A, and chased simply 22.6 p.c of the time, per Statcast information from that stage — and he topped out at 106 mph in exit velocity, however he hit the ball on the bottom a ton, as he can get too agency on the entrance facet and finally ends up on high of the ball too typically. He’s a real middle fielder who was a 55 runner final 12 months, down from 70 velocity in highschool, and confirmed simply a mean arm, all of which was additionally a bit down from highschool, probably simply the results of a for much longer season and extra frequent play than he’d skilled earlier than as an novice in Indiana.
His flooring is a daily in middle with excessive on-base percentages and plus protection; his ceiling, if the Tigers assist him regain some velocity and get him to loosen up his entrance facet to drive the ball extra, is a 25-homer/40-steal on-base machine.
Crews was the second decide within the 2023 draft and made his major-league debut about 13 months after signing, advancing rapidly via the minors as anticipated however with out the dominance that most individuals anticipated. Crews hit .274/.343/446 in Double A, in a superb hitters’ park in Harrisburg, and .265/.340/.455 at Triple-A Rochester. It was a strong efficiency, boosted by above-average protection in middle area, however he’s not simply any prospect — he received the 2023 Golden Spikes award after starring at LSU and beating up on SEC pitching for 3 years.
The excellent news is that his batted-ball information factors to higher outcomes going ahead, as he bumped into some unhealthy luck within the majors regardless of hitting the ball fairly exhausting in a small pattern; his hard-hit charges in Triple A (43.3 p.c) and the majors (44.7 p.c) have been each above the median, though he was simply 22 and younger for each ranges. He’s closed off among the bother he had in 2023 with fastballs up within the zone, and missed simply 10 p.c of the fastballs he swung at within the majors. He hit lefties advantageous in his temporary pattern within the large leagues as nicely, struggling principally towards breaking stuff from righties, particularly down and away.
Even with the tepid efficiency within the excessive minors, he nonetheless exhibits the underlying traits of an above-average hitter within the large leagues, and that coupled with what might be grade 55 protection in middle — or plus if he strikes to a nook at any level — would nonetheless make him at the least a constant 3-4 WAR participant proper now. I’m nonetheless hopeful there’s extra upside right here with the bat than he’s demonstrated in his year-plus in professional ball.
Williams is probably the most enigmatic prospect within the minors to me: He does completely all the pieces you’d desire a position-player prospect to do, besides he strikes out approach too typically — he does all of these different issues regardless of a 28.5 p.c strikeout fee in Double A final 12 months that ought to be, if not disqualifying, a significant demerit on his scouting report.
Williams is a plus defender at brief with a straightforward plus arm. He has 70 velocity and exhibits above-average to plus energy, hitting 20 homers for the second 12 months in a row. He doesn’t chase pitches out of the zone a lot in any respect — his chase fee final 12 months was 22 p.c in response to Synergy Sports activities, which places him nicely under the general MLB fee, however when he does chase, he almost all the time whiffs, and he additionally misses pitches within the zone greater than you’d like. It’s a call subject slightly than a mechanical one, however Williams performs so nicely regardless of the whiffs that altering his strategy dangers taking away among the manufacturing as nicely.
His 2024 season can also undersell his talents, as he was hit on the hand by a pitch in June, missed simply six days, and wasn’t the identical hitter afterward. He was hitting .294/.376/.552 with a 27.1 p.c strikeout fee on the time of the damage, then hit .220/.324/.382 with a 29.4 p.c strikeout fee after his return, which makes me suspect he was extra harm than he let on and simply performed via it. At worst, he’s a shortstop with plus energy, protection, and baserunning worth who may simply hit for a decrease common due to the strikeouts. That’s a 4-WAR participant in a full season due to the worth of the place, and I wouldn’t rule out him getting past that with even tiny changes to his swing selections.
Campbell was my minor league participant of the 12 months for 2024 after he posted a .330/.439/.558 line throughout three ranges, from Excessive A via Triple A, in his first full 12 months in professional ball. The Pink Sox took him within the fourth spherical in 2023 as a redshirt freshman at Georgia Tech, betting on the make-up and the athleticism, and that good scouting work paid off as he not solely hit at each stage however did so whereas enjoying 4 positions — second, brief, third, and middle. He’s a plus runner who’s quick sufficient to play any of these spots, however his fringy arm in all probability limits him to second or middle, with second his greatest place proper now and in the long term as nicely.
His swing has a bit of funk to it and he can get flat via contact, leading to a 60 p.c groundball fee in his temporary time in Triple A, however he has an unbelievable eye on the plate and will get the bat to the ball constantly sufficient for exhausting contact. He does have some holes he’ll must work on, together with four-seamers up and something shifting down and in underneath his arms or at his entrance hip, a few of which can simply be a operate of his restricted expertise earlier than attending to Triple A. He’s additionally already gained 10-15 kilos of additional muscle this winter, which may assist with bat management and getting some extra loft via contact. He may simply be a plus defender at second and at worst ought to publish excessive OBPs with 20-30 steals and 50+ extra-base hits a 12 months.
The 2024 season was a misplaced 12 months for Lawlar, who tore a ligament in his proper thumb in March, then harm his left hamstring twice whereas on rehab assignments, limiting him to only 104 regular-season PA and holding him out of the majors completely after he debuted in 2023. He did go play for Licey within the Dominican Winter League and doubled his enjoying time for the calendar 12 months, though he didn’t hit as nicely there, leaving him in all probability no additional alongside than he was this time final 12 months.
He’s a extremely athletic shortstop who has proven he could make exhausting contact to hit for top averages, hitting extra line drives to the gaps than balls into the seats, solely attending to extra energy when he performed within the hitters’ havens of Amarillo and Reno in 2023. His swing is fairly brief to the ball, with good follow-through that’s on a decrease aircraft for line drives, and his wrists are so sturdy that he’s going to at the least get to a excessive doubles complete and doubtless nonetheless hit 15-20 homers at his peak. He didn’t run a lot final 12 months however has plus velocity and good instincts on the bases, all of which may additionally assist him if he finally ends up shifting to middle area in deference to a plus defender at shortstop. If left on the place, he may very well be a 50/55 defender, due to some sturdy work by Arizona’s participant improvement crew.
I did observe some issues about him lunging out of his swing in 2023, however that’s all on the again burner now as we wait to see the wholesome model of him return this spring coaching. He’s received a robust flooring as an on a regular basis man, at brief or middle or perhaps even second, but when he can keep wholesome and push that energy to extra like 20 homers or 60+ extra-base hits, he’d be extra of an All-Star.
Jobe is the most effective pitching prospect within the minors proper now, though each candidate for that checklist has missed a while with accidents previously two years, Jobe included, so purchaser beware. He’s received a four-pitch combine highlighted by a high-spin four-seamer that sits 94-98 when he’s beginning and an elite changeup, the most effective within the minors, that has great late tumble, and that he can throw to each side of the plate and makes use of towards left- and right-handed batters. He’s additionally received a sweeper-slider and a tough slider, each of that are extra weapons towards righties, though the sweeper might be going to be the fourth pitch in his arsenal within the majors.
He has cleaned up his supply considerably since 2023, so he ought to be higher positioned to repeat it and throw each extra strikes and higher strikes going ahead, as excessive stroll charges have been one of many solely negatives on his report back to date — he walked 12.6 p.c of batters he confronted in Double A and Triple A final 12 months, which is a huge reward to batters given how exhausting his stuff is to hit. He’s additionally had lots of non-arm accidents, lacking the primary half of 2023 with a decrease again damage and two months of 2024 with a hamstring pressure, so he’s thrown simply 252 2/3 complete innings in three full professional seasons, together with time within the AFL in 2023. Which will level to a restricted workload in 2025, particularly since he’s more likely to spend most or all of it within the majors. It’s No. 1 starter upside if he can go from 45 management to 55, which he definitely ought to given his athleticism and the place the supply stands now.
Painter was supposedly on the bubble to make the Phillies out of spring coaching in 2023, when he was nonetheless 19, however ended up with a UCL tear that required Tommy John surgical procedure and worn out that season and all of 2024 as nicely. He returned throughout the Arizona Fall League this offseason and threw 15 2/3 innings over six outings, nonetheless pumping 96-98 with good carry, exhibiting a plus curveball and slider, with solely the changeup lagging behind.
He’s constructed like a workhorse starter at 6-foot-7 and a listed weight of 215 that’s in all probability outdated by 10-plus kilos, though the elbow tear and two misplaced years at the least push his timetable to take 30 turns in a big-league rotation again a bit. He’s in all probability going to demolish Triple-A hitters this 12 months and find yourself within the majors in some form of reduction or swing position because the Phillies handle his innings and attempt to develop his changeup and his command, particularly coming off a layoff the place he’s more likely to nonetheless have some rust. The wholesome model of Painter ought to be a 200-inning, No. 1 starter.
Miller was the Phillies’ 2023 first-round decide, coming off a senior season at J.W. Mitchell Excessive College north of Clearwater that ended for him in early March when he broke a hamate bone. Between the damage and the truth that he was 19 on the draft, he slid down some groups’ draft boards, which was the Phillies’ windfall once they chosen him with the twenty seventh decide, as he’s rapidly turn into their greatest position-player prospect.
Final season, he ripped via Low-A Clearwater with a .275/.401/.483 line in 39 video games the place he topped out at 108 mph, then began sluggish in Excessive A earlier than taking off in his final month and a half there, ending up with a .258/.353/.444 line earlier than a final-week promotion to Double A, all very spectacular for a participant in his first full 12 months within the minors.
He has completely performed shortstop since he signed, and opposite to predraft stories, he’s performed it rather well, to the purpose the place nobody appears to query whether or not he can keep on the place. He’s received superb instincts and exhibits above-average vary in each instructions, with a plus arm, enjoying protection like he desires to make each play. I noticed him proper after the promotion to Excessive A and famous a very aggressive strategy and tendency to get on high of the ball; inside about two weeks, he’d already adjusted and was seeing extra pitches and driving the ball once more. He’s even a plus runner now who stole 23 bases in 28 makes an attempt final 12 months, probably including much more worth to his sport.
Miller has performed simply 122 video games in professional ball, and received’t flip 21 till June, so he’s nonetheless received time on his facet and I feel extra energy to come back. With Trea Turner’s protection slipping — his Runs Above Common on protection hasn’t been optimistic since 2021 — Miller is perhaps the Phillies’ future at shortstop, and before you assume.
Shaw is perhaps the Cubs’ beginning third baseman this April, and he’s earned the shot after reaching Triple A in his first full professional season and hitting higher because the season progressed. Shaw began 2024 in Double A, the place he overcame some unhealthy luck on balls in play to hit .279/.373/.468 with only a 17.5 p.c strikeout fee, after which bumped as much as Triple A and hit .298/.395/.534 with a 19.7 p.c strikeout fee. He makes very constant exhausting contact, averaging 89.3 mph in Triple A with a ninetieth percentile exit velocity of 106. He makes use of a really rotational and clear swing that tends to place the ball within the air.
He’s a shortstop by commerce however has performed second and third as nicely within the minors, a mirrored image of the Cubs’ wants, with second base in all probability his greatest place and his third-base protection playable if not fairly common but. He’s a 55 runner with glorious instincts and will in all probability deal with middle or left if wanted. Shaw is without doubt one of the greatest bets to hit for a excessive common of any prospect within the minors, and may add one other half-grade of energy to get final 12 months’s 21 homers up into the 25-30 homer vary in his greatest years. Relying on his place and the way a lot he can enhance his protection, he may very well be a 5-WAR participant at his peak.
Quero was No. 12 on final winter’s high 100, however had only one regular-season plate look in 2024 earlier than he tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder, ultimately present process surgical procedure to restore it that ended his season. He’s supposedly on observe to be prepared for spring coaching, so in idea he’s nonetheless simply pretty much as good of a prospect as he was a 12 months in the past, along with his throwing in all probability the most important query, though the lack of a 12 months of at-bats additionally hurts nearly any prospect this facet of Chipper Jones. It was notably a disgrace for Quero after he labored to enhance his conditioning the prior 12 months so he may maintain up underneath a full 12 months of catching duties.
As a hitter, he exhibits a brief swing with sturdy follow-through, hitting 16 homers in 90 video games in 2023 and projecting to 20-plus homers in his peak years within the majors. He had proven an inclination to swing too exhausting, mitigating it thus far as a result of he has sturdy arms and wrists to manage the bat via the zone. He’ll must shake off the rust from the layoff, after which can resume engaged on recognizing changeups from lefties and spin from righties, each of which have been vulnerabilities for him in 2023. Assuming his arm is OK — it was in all probability a 70 on pure arm energy, so he has some wiggle room — and the surgical procedure hasn’t adversely affected his swing, he nonetheless tasks as a star who’s a plus defender and a really sturdy hitter for the place.
Speeding bounced again from a concussion he suffered in 2023 that impacted his efficiency, placing collectively an outstanding 2024 season that has him banging on the door of Chavez Ravine, hitting .271/.385/.512 between Double A and Triple A with strong protection and improved efficiency towards velocity. Speeding has proven glorious zone consciousness since his debut, with a chase fee of simply 21 p.c throughout each ranges final 12 months, and his hard-hit fee in Triple A was 44 p.c, similar to Alec Bohm and Kyle Tucker within the large leagues.
He can overstride a bit of and get off stability, particularly given how exhausting he swings, however when it’s all synced up his swing is geared to supply exhausting contact in that supreme zone of angles off the bat for energy. He’s a strong receiver who threw out 30 p.c of runners final 12 months, and is perhaps underrated as a defender as a result of he’s such a superb hitter (one thing baseball followers who have been on-line within the Nineteen Nineties may know as Nichols’ Legislation of Catcher Protection — a catcher’s defensive fame is inversely proportional to their offensive talents).
The Dodgers simply gave Will Smith a mammoth contract, however he’s additionally been banged up fairly a bit the final two years, so Speeding’s imminent arrival within the majors is perhaps proper on time. If he’s even a .340 OBP, 20-homer man, which appears cheap given his manufacturing and underlying information from 2024, that may make him one of the crucial useful catchers in baseball.
Salas was one in all two 18-year-olds to begin 2024 above Low A, together with Walcott. Salas’ season was superb in context, however didn’t fairly dwell as much as the hype or the scouting stories coming into the 12 months. He hit .208/.288/.311 for Excessive-A Fort Wayne, with only a 21 p.c strikeout fee; his .256 BABIP does level to some unhealthy luck, however his contact high quality went backwards as nicely, and the simple energy he confirmed in 2023 — or can present in BP — was absent in video games a lot of the common season. He was higher within the Arizona Fall League, hitting as many homers there (4) in 23 video games as he did in 111 video games for Fort Wayne, which performs in a foul hitters’ park.
He’s nonetheless a plus defender and earns reward for his work with pitchers and coaches, giving him a really excessive flooring as a catcher who has proven nice contact expertise and at the least proven plus energy in BP. He received’t flip 19 till June 1, so he has a ton of time to carry all of this collectively. Nevertheless, on the very least there’s much more skepticism about his chance to turn into a star amongst different scouts and execs than there was a 12 months in the past.
The Orioles went under-slot with their high decide within the abbreviated 2020 draft so they might go over slot for 2 gamers within the fourth and fifth rounds, and Mayo, the fourth-rounder, has greater than justified their strategy, as he’s already reached the majors at age 22 after hitting nicely at each cease within the minors.
Mayo spent most of 2024 in Triple A, hitting .287/.364/.562 there with 22 homers in simply 89 video games round an IL stint (he broke a rib making an attempt to catch a foul ball). His batted-ball information from that stage was simply as spectacular — his exit velocity topped out at 114.9 mph, his ninetieth percentile EV was 107.2 mph, and his hard-hit fee was 41 p.c, all of which might be above the major-league medians for these figures. His Barrel fee was over 12 p.c, which might have ranked within the high 50 had he achieved it within the large leagues.
He’s 6-5 and does have lengthy levers so his swing can get large, a few of which is the pure tradeoff for the form of energy he shows, however can also level to an extended adjustment interval within the majors as pitchers exploit that size. He hasn’t swung and missed excessively within the minors, nevertheless, and he has made small changes to his strategy and his mechanics as he’s moved up, so there’s each motive to assume he’ll achieve this within the majors. He’s performed third and first in professional ball and has made himself right into a succesful defender on the scorching nook, however first base will all the time be the simplest possibility — or probably proper area, as he has loads of arm and strikes nicely sufficient for a nook outfield spot. His bat appears prefer it’ll play anyplace, with 30-35 homer upside and a ok plan on the plate to ultimately get to league-average or higher OBPs.
Chandler was a part of the Pirates’ 2021 draft class, the place they took Henry Davis with the primary decide and went nicely underneath slot so they might signal a number of different first-round skills to over-slot offers — with Chandler by far the most effective of the group thus far. The previous quarterback-shortstop-pitcher is now completely on the mound, and 2024 was an enormous step ahead for him, as he moved via Double A to Triple A and reduce his stroll fee from 10.9 p.c in 2023 to eight.6 p.c throughout all of final 12 months.
Chandler has the most effective four-seamers within the minors, 94-99 with distinctive form and life, giving it the phantasm of rise, and hitters simply can’t do something with it: Triple-A batters whiffed on it 27 p.c of the time they swung, and once they did hit it they have been extra more likely to go the opposite approach as a result of they couldn’t pull it. He’s principally fastball-slider-changeup now, barely utilizing the curveball, so he can deal with bettering only one breaking ball. It’ll in all probability all the time be his third-best pitch, nevertheless it was efficient towards righties final 12 months, and his changeup continues to be a plus pitch for him that he can use towards each side.
The Pirates let him work a bit of deeper into video games in 2024 and he confirmed no lack of stuff, whereas this was the second 12 months in a row that he pitched a full season, so he ought to be able to step into the big-league rotation by midyear. He solely grew to become a full-time pitcher in 2023, so he should have extra development forward of him on the mound than the standard 22-year-old, and he’s each bit the athlete you’d count on from somebody who was dedicated to Clemson for 2 sports activities. Even when the slider is rarely greater than a fringe-average pitch, he appears like he’ll at the least be a No. 2 starter with the 2 elite weapons and the potential for above-average command as he matures.
Schultz has gone from barely pitching as a senior at Oswego East Excessive College outdoors Chicago as he was coping with mono to changing into the most effective left-handed pitching prospect in baseball simply two years later. He’d made solely 16 appearances within the minors coming into 2024, having missed time the 12 months earlier than, however spent most of his season in Double A as a 20-year-old and dominated, putting out 32 p.c of batters he confronted and posting a 1.48 ERA.
He’s 6-9 and actually makes use of the peak to his benefit, coming at hitters from a low slot with good extension in order that hitters make weak contact on his fastball though it doesn’t miss many bats. He’ll sit 93-96 as a starter, with excessive spin charges however not a ton of life to it, a plus-plus slider as his out pitch, together with a high-spin curveball and maybe too-firm changeup, though thus far he’s had no points with platoon splits.
He’s going to earn comparisons to Chris Sale as one other lanky low-slot lefty, however he’s a special animal; he may by no means miss bats on the identical fee, however will generate lots of weak contact and maintain the ball within the park as an alternative. So long as he stays wholesome — and that’s not assured, because the historical past of 6-9 or taller pitchers is fairly grim — he’s going to have a future of giving hitters nightmares as a top-end starter.
Rodriguez had a typical 12 months for himself — he walked and struck out quite a bit, made very exhausting contact, and received harm. In 47 video games complete throughout 4 ranges, he hit .280/.459/.567 with a 24.4 p.c stroll fee and 29.7 p.c strikeout fee, hitting 9 homers in that span, or roughly a 31-homer tempo. He injured his proper thumb whereas stealing a base in April, tried to come back again and play via it, however reinjured it in September and ended up having a “cleanup procedure” on it after the season. He makes extraordinarily exhausting contact when he’s wholesome, although. Even in his temporary time in Triple A, he put 13 balls in play, peaking at 114.6 mph and averaging 90.1. And his information of the strike zone is actual; he even introduced his chase fee down from about 14 p.c final 12 months to 11 p.c this 12 months and simply 8 p.c in his temporary time in Triple A.
Rodriguez calmed down his leg kick a bit of bit final 12 months, though it doesn’t appear to have made a lot distinction in his outcomes, and he nonetheless in all probability must swing extra typically at pitches within the zone. If he stays in centerfield, with this energy and persistence he may very well be a greater Mike Cameron (46.7 profession WAR, so don’t scoff). It’s extra probably Rodriguez leads to proper area, the place his uncommon profile as a hitter will nonetheless make him an above-average common, and there’s the potential for extra if he will get a bit of extra aggressive on the plate — and may keep on the sphere for a full season.
Domínguez might by no means fairly be the Mickey Mantle-esque star that the earliest hype round him indicated, however he’s going to be an excellent participant — extra so if the Yankees simply depart him in middle area and let him hit. Signed for a $5 million bonus as a 16-year-old in 2019, Domínguez was very bodily mature for his age then, and confirmed plus energy early on in his profession in consequence. He’s additionally a 70 runner and has 30/30 upside if he hits sufficient to get to it, and thus far, he has hit for contact and common up via Triple A, hitting .287/.363/.465 there final 12 months in his return from 2023 Tommy John surgical procedure.
He’s a switch-hitter with actually good swings from each side of the plate, however has all the time been higher from the left facet and has struck out 29.3 p.c of the time when batting right-handed during the last two years, one factor that bears watching as he strikes to the majors. He’s a pure middle fielder and a superb one, with vary from that plus velocity together with strong instincts to learn balls off the bat. There’s some hit instrument threat, particularly towards southpaws, and he doesn’t have the identical room for bodily projection that almost all prospects his age nonetheless do. I see sufficient current energy and energy — his EV50 in Triple A was 101.6 mph, which might have ranked fourth on the Yankees final 12 months — to challenge him as a 25-30 homer man as is, and with the velocity and protection that also makes him a nicely above-average common and occasional All-Star.
McGonigle was the Tigers’ second decide in 2023, however took residence a first-round bonus to purchase him away from a scholarship to Auburn, and his professional debut made that seem like a screaming discount for Detroit. (It helps that the present draft bonus system wildly undervalues the most effective gamers.) His 2024 was bookended by accidents, however after recovering from a hamstring pressure, he hit .326/.407/.470 in his 60-game stint in Low A, then received off to a strong begin in Excessive A earlier than he broke the hamate bone in his proper hand, ending his season.
The center infielder from a small non-public college outdoors of Philadelphia has a really clear, easy swing with good hip rotation to drive the ball to the gaps, and the wonderful ball-strike recognition he confirmed as an novice has definitely carried over — he walked greater than he struck out at Low A and at Excessive A, with 11 walks and simply 4 strikeouts in 14 video games on the latter cease. He’s performed brief and second in professional ball however doesn’t have the vary or quickness for shortstop, profiling significantly better at second and maybe ending up a 55 defender there.
If there’s a knock on his sport, it’s that he’s not as projectable bodily as a lot of the guys forward of him on this checklist; he makes loads of exhausting contact now, however there’s not a lot room on his 5-10-ish body to get stronger, so any additional energy beneficial properties (he had 5 homers in 74 video games, though the Florida State League is unhealthy for energy hitters) should come from swing tweaks. He’s in all probability going to have a really lengthy profession as an above-average common who ranks among the many league leaders in OBP with simply common or fringy energy and strong protection at second … and, if he hits what I’d arbitrarily name a ninety fifth percentile end result, retire with 2,500 hits.
Celesten is perhaps a celebrity, if he can keep on the sphere and profit from his prodigious bodily talents. Signed in January 2023 for a $4.2 million bonus, Celesten missed the entire 2023 advanced season with a hamstring pressure, then went to the Arizona Advanced League (skipping the DSL) to begin 2024 and hit .352/.431/.568, which put him within the high 10 within the league in common and slugging amongst all gamers with at the least 100 PA. He missed a month with wrist ache, returned for one sport in late July, after which shut it down, ultimately present process surgical procedure to restore a damaged hamate bone. The group stated it was an outdated damage, so he did all that on the plate whereas enjoying via an damage that usually saps a ton of energy from a hitter. He’s a real switch-hitter with plus velocity, an above-average to plus arm, and good actions at shortstop, lagging behind in among the much less tangible facets like his inside clock and getting higher reads off the bat. If he has the work ethic to match his instruments, he’s going to be a celebrity.
Bazzana was the primary decide within the 2024 draft out of Oregon State, the place the Australian infielder had starred for 3 seasons because the Beavers’ second baseman, ending with a .407/.568/.911 line as a junior. Cleveland despatched him proper to Excessive A, the place he struggled a bit of out of the gate, enduring a five-game hitless stretch in his second week there earlier than warming up for his final month-plus on the stage and ending with a .238/.369/.396 line in his professional debut.
He’s a really polished WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) participant, providing little in the way in which of bodily projection but in addition incomes plaudits in all places for his acumen for the sport, main evaluators to imagine he’ll have the ability to make changes as he faces higher pitching. He has an odd begin to his swing with the bat again behind his rear shoulder and pointing down, however he’s prepared when it issues and has a brief path to the ball as soon as his arms get began. He confirmed unbelievable plate self-discipline in school and most of that carried over into the minors, as he nonetheless didn’t chase a lot (22 p.c) and solely struggled towards sliders in that temporary stint, notably left on left.
Bazzana is restricted to second base or probably left area. Cleveland’s commerce of Andrés Giménez clears the keystone for him, and there’s each motive to count on him to see the majors a while this 12 months given his superior strategy and current energy/energy. Even when he’s simply common on protection, his propensity to hit for top averages and get on base with in all probability 20ish-homer upside ought to nonetheless make him an All-Star.
De Paula is without doubt one of the greatest pure offensive prospects within the minors proper now, with an unbelievable strategy on the plate that resulted in a .268/.404/.405 line between Low A and Excessive A with 84 walks (good for 14th in the entire minors) and simply 95 strikeouts. He makes exhausting contact proper now, with sturdy exit velocities that you just may not infer from his energy output (simply 10 homers, 17 doubles, three triples), as he doesn’t get the ball within the air as typically as you’d like simply but. He’s a 40 runner and isn’t a terrific defender anyplace, so the hope is he finally ends up a forty five defender in an outfield nook, whereas the concern is he finally ends up at first base or at DH.
The bat will play anyplace, particularly if his energy emerges with age and extra muscle on his 6-3 body, notably in his wrists and forearms, permitting him to manage the bat head higher via contact to hit the ball on a line. I’m betting on that taking place given his age, physique, and distinctive command of the strike zone.
Baldwin is such a superb defender behind the plate that he’s nearly definitely going to be somebody’s on a regular basis catcher, and if his uncooked energy retains exhibiting up in video games because it did after a midseason promotion to Triple A, he’s going to make some All-Star groups. He was Atlanta’s third-round decide in 2022 out of Missouri State, the place he wasn’t a full-time participant till his draft 12 months, and he’s improved considerably as a hitter since coming into professional ball, loosening up on the plate to attempt to get to extra of that plus energy. He had a sluggish begin in Double A however Atlanta promoted him to Gwinnett in early June, after which he took off, hitting .298/.407/.484 on the larger stage with 12 homers in 72 video games.
He hits the ball extraordinarily exhausting — his common exit velocity in Triple A was 92 mph, his EV50 was 103, and his ninetieth percentile EV was 107 — so there’s each motive to assume the facility is actual. He whistles the bat via the zone with glorious bat velocity, and even with a fairly excessive beginning place he hasn’t had bother attending to pitches on the backside of the strike zone thus far. He’s an excellent blocker and receiver with plus arm energy however simply fringy accuracy thus far, resulting in a profession 20 p.c caught stealing fee within the minors. A 20-homer catcher with plus protection will rank among the many greatest backstops within the majors, and Baldwin appears like he will be at the least that, and doubtless will debut this 12 months.
Mayer regarded like he was on observe to be the highest prospect in baseball round midyear, however he received harm but once more, along with his final sport in 2024 approaching July 30, additional underscoring his historical past of lacking time with accidents. He was within the midst of a bounce-back season on the plate, returning to Double A and hitting .307/.370/.480 there whereas slicing his strikeout fee from 26 p.c to only underneath 20 p.c, when the damage struck, though he was promoted on paper to Triple A after he hit the injured checklist.
Mayer has a really fairly left-handed swing with good loft in his end, projecting to plus energy down the street, in all probability 25-30 homers a 12 months. He’s a robust athlete and has the arm and arms to be a plus defender, flashing that vary at occasions however needing to be extra constant on routine performs. He murders fastballs, with the bat velocity to catch as much as top-end velocity, whereas offspeed stuff gave him extra bother than ever in 2024. It could be mechanical, as he’s locking his entrance knee very early and making an attempt to hit with a totally agency entrance facet, leaving him weak to stuff down at or under his knees; if that’s the problem, it’s additionally fixable, and he hasn’t all the time hit this manner.
Extra regarding is that Mayer has but to play in 100 video games in a professional season, topping out at 91 in 2022, lacking time as a consequence of a lumbar pressure (2024), shoulder irritation (2023), a sprained wrist (2022), and “back issues” (2022). He’s 22 now and nonetheless has celebrity potential — a 30-homer shortstop with plus protection and what ought to be above-average OBPs goes to be the most effective participant on his group generally. He has to indicate he can play 140 video games in a 12 months and get again to hitting offspeed stuff to be that form of prospect once more.
Eldridge performed as a lot as any prospect in 2024, with 565 complete plate appearances throughout 4 ranges of the minors and a stint within the Arizona Fall League, the place he was understandably gassed. He carried out nicely on the first three stops as a 19-year-old in his first full professional season. He was a two-way participant in highschool who had arm energy as a pitcher however no breaking ball to talk of, so whereas the Giants kind of stated he’d proceed to pitch once they drafted him, everybody wised up and instructed him to go hit.
He’s 6-7 however has a brief swing for somebody that measurement, one which’s way more geared in the direction of contact than the form of big-fly, loft-oriented swing you may count on from such a tall hitter, and he stored his strikeout fee to only 25 p.c till he received to Triple A, which is all the time the most important concern with any hitter his top (or taller). He appears like he’ll be an enormous energy hitter, however whereas he makes exhausting contact, I’m anticipating larger averages and doubles totals however a extra modest residence run output within the 20-25 homer vary.
He has performed some proper area nevertheless it’s apparently an Eldridge horror present on the market, so first base will probably be. He nonetheless has work to do there, however there’s actually nothing stopping him from changing into at the least a 55 defender on the place, and he does give fielders an enormous goal for his or her throws. The Giants pushed him very exhausting final 12 months, so 2025 ought to be a consolidation 12 months for him, the place maybe he begins in Double A and will get a future there earlier than shifting as much as the hitter-friendly PCL. He’s their subsequent franchise participant, however wants time to be able to cope with major-league pitching, particularly as he had extra bother with offspeed stuff as he moved up the ladder final 12 months.
The Mets needed Sproat so badly, they drafted him twice. He determined to not register 2022, selecting as an alternative to return to Florida to attempt to enhance his draft inventory, and he did, going a spherical larger in 2023 and doubtless making one other $500,000 within the course of. He reached Triple A in his first full professional season, dominating Excessive-A and Double-A hitters with a five-pitch combine. He had a 2.05 ERA on the season and 110 Ks with 31 walks in 87 2/3 innings when he was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. He struggled in seven begins there, permitting 36 hits, together with seven homers, in simply 28 innings, as his fringy command got here again to chunk him, with too many fastballs left about belt-high and extra skilled hitters higher in a position to decide up a few of his offspeed stuff.
He works closely off a four-seamer that’s been as much as 99-100 and sits 96-97, whereas his greatest pitch is a slider that’s above-average to plus relying on the day; he’ll throw a good change, a curve, and a two-seamer as nicely. It’ll all the time be management over command, as he’s so aggressive that it’s exhausting to foresee him ever firming it down sufficient to be exact along with his places. He’ll must perform a little little bit of refinement to make the final leap to the majors, as hitters will hit your stuff, regardless of how good it’s, if you happen to put it on a tee for them. He has some similarities to Edwin Jackson, an enormous stuff man who was extra of a No. 4 starter for many of his profession, though I feel Sproat has higher management than Jackson did on the identical age.
De Vries signed final January for $4.2 million, the second-biggest bonus within the 2024 worldwide free agent class, and the Padres have been unusually aggressive with him — who am I kidding, they all the time do that — in sending him to not the DSL, to not the Arizona League, however to Low A, making him the one 17-year-old common anyplace in full-season ball final 12 months. He greater than held his personal, hitting .237/.361/.441 with a really respectable 23.3 p.c strikeout fee that was barely higher than the Cal League common. He has an actual knack for centering the ball and as he will get stronger his batting common goes to climb in a short time, since he already has the contact expertise. He is aware of the strike zone extraordinarily nicely for somebody so younger, and he not often misses fastballs; he had extra bother with different pitch sorts, unsurprising given his full lack of prior expertise anyplace in professional ball, however didn’t panic with two strikes and solely swung and missed barely extra typically in these spots. His common season led to mid-August when he strained his proper shoulder on a diving play, however in an indication that the damage wasn’t too severe, the Padres despatched him to the Arizona Fall League, the place he was, after all, the youngest participant. He turned 18 in October, so he’s youthful than some highschool gamers who’ll be drafted on Day 1 this upcoming July. De Vries was already exhibiting indicators of changes when he received harm, slicing his whiff and chase charges on numerous pitch sorts within the second half, and he has barely begun to develop into his 6-2 (precise top) body. He’s received an opportunity to stay at shortstop, he’s a plus runner, and he may find yourself with 20+ homer energy. Give him a full, wholesome 12 months together with the good thing about all of the expertise he received in 2024 and he is perhaps a high 10 prospect by subsequent January.
Wetherholt might need gone No. 1 in final 12 months’s draft had he had a full, wholesome spring for West Virginia, however a hamstring damage restricted him to 36 video games for the Mountaineers, simply 27 of them within the area, so he ended up going No. 7 to the Cardinals — and that appears like a steal for St. Louis. Wetherholt had the most effective swings within the draft class and an extended observe report of hitting for common and excessive contact charges, hitting .449/.517/.787 as a sophomore after which .331/.472/.589 regardless of clearly enjoying harm for a few of his junior 12 months.
He’s not very bodily, however makes loads of exhausting contact — his hard-hit fee in Low A after the draft was 55 p.c, precisely the identical as his hard-hit fee from the spring, and he topped out at 109 mph in Palm Seashore — due to a brief, environment friendly swing that will get probably the most from his decrease half (when his decrease half is unbroken). He moved to shortstop from second and third as a junior, however after all by no means performed it at full energy after the primary weekend, so whereas the protected wager is that he finally ends up at second base, he hasn’t had an opportunity to indicate a lot at shortstop but. No matter his place, his swing mechanics and his strategy on the plate level to excessive averages and lots of doubles energy, sufficient to make him a long-time common who may problem for some batting titles.
“The Jaguar” made his big-league debut in September, simply over three years after the Cubs acquired him from the Yankees for Anthony Rizzo in a commerce that labored out nicely for each golf equipment. Alcántara began slowly in 2024 and hit the injured checklist in early June with an damage to his left shoulder, however after he returned, he took off on the plate, hitting .292/.388/.459 between Double A and Triple A in 63 video games earlier than the callup. He’s 6-6 and lanky, with a ton of room to maintain filling out and including energy past what he already exhibits — almost half of his balls in play in Triple A have been hard-hit (95 mph or higher exit velocities) — whereas he’s nonetheless creating the wrist and forearm energy to remain on aircraft via contact and get the ball within the air extra, with a 51.7 p.c groundball fee within the minors final 12 months.
Alcántara has labored his approach as much as turn into a plus defender in middle as he’s improved his focus and his reads on balls off the bat. He’s not prepared for the majors but, between the tendency to get on high of the ball and a few actual bother with sliders as soon as he reached Triple A (he whiffed at simply over half of those he swung at there), however along with his plus protection and velocity and the 30-40 homer potential, he has probably the most upside of anybody within the Cubs system.
Condon was the No. 1 participant on my predraft rankings final 12 months and went to Colorado with the third decide, however his post-draft efficiency couldn’t have differed extra from what he did within the spring for Georgia. Condon received the Golden Spikes Award with a .433/.556/1.009 line for the Dawgs, hitting 37 homers in 60 video games, setting the college’s profession residence run report and the NCAA’s single-season report since they switched to BBCOR bats. In 109 PA for Excessive-A Spokane, nevertheless, Condon hit .180/.248/.270, struck out 34 occasions (31.1 p.c), and walked simply 4 occasions. Pitchers noticed a 6-6 hitter with lengthy levers within the field and went after him exhausting in with fastballs and gentle away with sliders and changeups.
Condon is a formidable athlete who made extraordinarily exhausting contact as an novice, rating among the many leaders in Division 1 with a ninetieth percentile exit velo of 111.8 mph, and he did regulate within the spring when pitchers went after him with breaking stuff, forcing them to come back again to the fastballs on which he feasted. He’s performed third base and all around the outfield, enjoying passably on the scorching nook and in middle, however the broad consensus is that he’s going to finish up in proper given his body and certain eventual measurement. He did have a lingering hand damage when he first signed which will have affected him on the plate, however that may’t clarify away the entire struggles. Maybe he was urgent; maybe he simply hadn’t seen breaking stuff of that high quality earlier than; maybe it’s only a tiny pattern.
I don’t assume his ceiling has modified in any respect — he’s a 30-homer bat with the form of contact high quality that results in excessive BABIPs and averages, and he ought to be a plus defender in an outfield nook — however there’s extra uncertainty right here than there was on draft day.
Kurtz was the most effective hitter in a loaded Wake Forest lineup final spring, main the group previously often known as the Oakland A’s to take him with the No. 4 decide, after which he continued to rake in his professional debut. He hit .368/.520/763 in 50 PA between Excessive A and Double A, harm his hamstring, then hit .353/.450/.608 in 60 extra PA within the Arizona Fall League. He’s restricted to first base — the horror — so he must hit, however thus far he’s hit in all places, and it’s particularly promising that he’s been swinging the bat extra since he signed, as he walked a ton in school (78 occasions final spring) and will look passive on the plate. He’s up from swinging 33 p.c of the time in school to 38 p.c within the minors, and that’ll in all probability enhance a bit of extra as pitchers understand simply how good his ball/strike recognition is. When he does swing, he makes extraordinarily exhausting contact; his ninetieth percentile exit velocity at Wake Forest was over 111 mph, and he continued to hit the ball exhausting in his temporary time within the minors.
There’s a superb probability for 30-homer energy with 70-80 walks or extra per season, and that’s going to make him a star and probably the most effective participant within the Sacra … er, the Athletics lineup.
Arizona took Crisantes within the seventh spherical in 2022 out of Nogales (Ariz.) Excessive College, just some minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, however the infielder didn’t debut till 2023 or play a sport within the area till 2024 after he underwent two Tommy John surgical procedures — the second to restore the primary — as a excessive schooler. By way of 121 video games within the minors, nevertheless, he’s hit .342/.427/.486 with a extremely mature strategy and sufficient exhausting contact to challenge him to a 60 or higher hit instrument within the majors. It’s a extremely easy, clear swing with a bit of loft in its end, producing a 27.4 p.c line-drive fee in 2024, and he’s sturdy sufficient already for nicely above-average contact high quality for a teen. (The MLB common line-drive fee in 2024 was 19.6 p.c.)
His protection is a piece in progress between his recovering arm and several other years off the sphere; he in all probability suits greatest at second base, as he’s athletic sufficient for the place and it doesn’t require a ton from his arm, whereas he lacks the vary for brief or the twitchiness for third. There’s all the time lots of threat in prospects whose worth is primarily tied up of their hit instrument — to not be too apparent, but when they don’t hit for top averages, they don’t have anything to fall again on — which is why Crisantes isn’t even larger on this checklist. Every thing about Crisantes, from the swing to the batted-ball information to the efficiency, says he’s going to hit a ton.
Teel was a part of the four-player package deal that Boston despatched to the White Sox for lefty Garrett Crochet, and proper now he looks like the most effective wager to be Chicago’s main catcher this 12 months after he completed 2024 in Triple A. The Pink Sox 2023 first-round select of Virginia, Teel began his first full professional season in Double A, hit .299/.390/.462, then moved as much as Triple A with Kristian Campbell and hit .255/.374/.343 in 28 video games at that final cease. He’s a superb athlete who strikes very nicely behind the plate and has a plus arm, with solid-average velocity that’s extra evident underway than out of the field. He’s received fast arms on the plate and a brief path to the ball with a bit of loft in his end, far more more likely to hit for common than for energy given his good-not-great contact high quality and the way in which his swing works.
He has had some bother with lefties in professional ball, putting out 31 p.c of the time he’s confronted them in solely about 130 PA, and he’ll want extra reps towards southpaws to keep away from changing into a platoon participant. His glove is prepared, and his bat is at the least prepared sufficient to make contact towards righties. The White Sox have the posh of time to let him proceed to develop within the majors and hope he reaches his upside of a solid-average or higher common behind the plate.
Montgomery was No. 4 on my predraft board final 12 months, however slipped to the No. 12 decide after he broke his ankle in Texas A&M’s Tremendous Regional collection in June. The Pink Sox drafted him, though that may turn into a degree of trivia since he by no means performed a single sport for Boston earlier than they traded him this offseason to the White Sox within the Garrett Crochet deal, giving Chicago two of the highest six gamers from my 2024 draft board together with their very own first-round decide, lefty Hagen Smith.
Montgomery is a switch-hitter with energy each methods, hitting a lot, significantly better from the left facet, making constantly exhausting contact — his hard-hit fee final spring for Texas A&M was a pleasant 69 p.c, placing him within the high 1 p.c of all Division 1 hitters. He was a two-way participant via his sophomore 12 months at Stanford earlier than he transferred to School Station, so after all he has a plus-plus arm and is at the least a 55 defender in proper. The 2 large questions round Montgomery are whether or not the ankle damage will have an effect on him in any respect going ahead and whether or not he ought to surrender hitting right-handed, as he struck out 29 p.c of the time that approach final spring with only a .227/.395/.485 line (versus .355/.465/.819 left-handed). It’s 30-homer upside with sturdy protection and the exhausting contact to maintain his batting common above the median so long as he comes again at one hundred pc.
Therefore could be one of many very best pitching prospects in baseball if he confirmed he may keep on the mound for a full season of labor, however the 2020 draftee has but to achieve 100 innings in anybody season — simply pitching extraordinarily nicely when he’s on the mound. He’s small, listed at 6-1, 195, however very, very athletic, and his arm is electrical. He’ll contact 98 and sit 94-95 as a starter with a 70 changeup and a slider that’s at the least common and performs up as a result of it’s a special look and form than the opposite two pitches. He’s by no means had a severe arm damage, lacking most of 2021 with shoulder discomfort that by no means required surgical procedure, dropping a couple of month of 2024 with some form of pressure or pull in his facet. He did go 90+ pitches in a number of begins for the primary time final 12 months, and posted his greatest strikeout fee (34.1 p.c) and ERA (2.71) of any stint he’s had in full-season ball.
He is perhaps a man who pitches like a No. 1 or a No. 2 however solely does so on the workload of a swingman or a back-end starter, though I by no means prefer to underestimate a participant who’s this athletic.
Burns was the No. 2 decide within the 2024 draft and the primary pitcher taken, coming off a dominant spring at Wake Forest that noticed him strike out greater than 40 p.c of opposing batters. His fastball has been as much as 100 and sits 96-98 with large induced vertical break, and his slider is a 70 with late, tight break alongside each axes. School hitters couldn’t contact the slider, whiffing two-thirds of the time they tried (so the lesson is rarely strive). He has a 55 curveball and a straight changeup with some tumble to it that’s his weakest pitch, in all probability his principal space for work going ahead now that he’s in professional ball.
He has some effort to his supply, together with a slight head-snap, however thus far he hasn’t had any bother throwing strikes or finding his principal two pitches. If his command and management maintain up, he’s a possible No. 2 starter, and will comply with one other former Wake Forest pitcher, Rhett Lowder, in reaching the majors within 15 months of his draft day.
Crawford held serve final 12 months, persevering with to hit the ball exhausting and get on base at a excessive clip (.360 total between Excessive A and Double A), but in addition persevering with to place the ball on the bottom 60 p.c of the time as a result of his swing has him coming down on the high of the ball. He’s a 70 defender in centerfield and an 80 runner who swiped 42 luggage in 51 makes an attempt final 12 months and doubtless may steal 60 with out breaking a sweat. He overstrides on the plate, so he’s incessantly off-balance, and doesn’t load his arms in any respect from a excessive setup, leading to a bat path that usually has him coming down in the direction of the zone. A few of this can be a matter of energy, as Crawford was all projection when the Phillies drafted him within the first spherical in 2022, and he nonetheless has lots of bodily development forward of him, however some is mechanical and it’s time for him to make some actual changes to get in higher place to drive the ball.
He’s going to have plus uncooked energy, and that mixed with elite protection and velocity will make him an influence participant for a very long time if he can change his swing to get that uncooked energy into video games.
Arias destroyed the Florida Advanced League final season as an 18-year-old, hitting .355/.471/.584 to win MVP honors and earn a bump as much as Low A, the place he greater than held his personal with a .257/.331/.378 line and only a 17.4 p.c strikeout fee. He’s received instruments and athleticism to spare, exhibiting glorious bat velocity and wrist energy already, together with a incredible swing that has nice rhythm to it and lets him get his decrease half concerned for extra energy. He’s a real shortstop with gentle arms and strong instincts already, exhibiting a plus arm and above-average velocity on each side of the ball. Arias simply turned 19 in November and doubtless will get to Excessive A sooner or later this 12 months, given how good his contact expertise are already. He has the upside of a plus defender at brief with above-average OBPs and 20 homers a 12 months, with the one main threat simply his age and the gap he has to journey to get to the majors.
Smith was a draft-eligible sophomore final 12 months who reworked his swing and his physique to surge to a .387/.488/.654 line in his sophomore 12 months at Florida State, elevating his common by over 100 factors, and touchdown with the Cubs on the No. 13 decide. He then had the most effective professional debut of any prospect within the draft, hitting .313/.396/.609 throughout three ranges and ending up in Double A. That ended his Cubs profession, as they traded him to Houston within the Kyle Tucker deal this offseason, instantly making him the Astros’ No. 1 prospect.
Smith’s swing will get the bat to the zone rapidly, and he makes lots of very exhausting contact, topping out over 115 mph within the spring for Florida State, and the Cubs already managed to get him to raise the ball extra typically to show that loud contact into extra energy. He’s solely performed third base since signing and that’s his greatest long-term end result; that appeared like wishful considering as not too long ago as 2023, however his improved conditioning provides him an opportunity to remain there, with first base or proper area additionally potentialities. He appears like he can flat-out hit, and may get to 25 homers too. If he does that as a 3rd baseman, he may have the ability to fill Alex Bregman’s footwear in Houston and make a number of All-Star groups.
The Brewers went over slot within the sixth spherical in 2023 to signal Pratt, who was fortieth on my draft board (so an early second spherical expertise), and his first full season was a rousing success. Pratt performed at the least 55 protection at brief, with some scouts saying it’s already plus, and he confirmed a approach higher strategy on the plate than simply about any highschool hitter from Mississippi I can keep in mind. He hit .295/.394/.395 in Low A final 12 months, with a 12.2 p.c stroll fee and simply an 18.3 p.c strikeout fee in a league the place the general strikeout fee was 25.3 p.c. He moved as much as Excessive-A Wisconsin for the playoff run and had a more durable time … besides that he launched 5 homers in 23 video games there, greater than he had hit in 73 video games in Low A.
There’s energy in there, perhaps 15-20 homers a 12 months, though even when he’s extra within the 10-12 class, plus protection and actually sturdy on-base expertise will make him a strong or higher common at shortstop. If his energy output does maintain bettering as he will get a bit of older and stronger, he’s received an opportunity to be a 4-5 win participant.
Younger had one other very strong 12 months on the plate whereas being younger for his stage, hitting .271/.369/.390 as a 20-year-old in Double A, all comfortably above the averages for the Texas League (.240/.327/.374), though he was the fourth-youngest common on the stage. He’s all the time been a sophisticated hitter for his age with distinctive really feel for contact; information from Synergy Sports activities present him with a whiff fee of simply 19 p.c final 12 months, and nothing over 22 p.c on any of the large 4 pitch sorts.
His swing is handsy and doesn’t generate a lot energy, though he does make exhausting sufficient contact to maintain his common up, and will get the ball within the air sufficient to perhaps see him as a 40-doubles, 10-homer man within the majors. He can play shortstop however in all probability will find yourself outmoded by a plus defender, whereas he’s performed extraordinarily nicely at second and is perhaps a plus defender himself at that spot. He’s a no-doubt large leaguer, with the ground of an excellent platoon infielder who can play a number of spots however perhaps sits towards good lefties, and a robust chance that he’s at the least a solid-average common at one of many two center infield positions.
Ballesteros is without doubt one of the greatest pure hitters within the minors, and if you happen to actually imagine he can catch, he’s a high 20ish prospect — however his physique is lower than supreme for the place and he’s in all probability going to finish up some place else. Ballesteros performed all of 2024 at age 20 and hit nicely at three stops, .299/.372/.495 in Double A, .281/.340/.454 in Triple A, after which .317/.376/.557 in 19 video games within the Arizona Fall League. He doesn’t miss pitches within the zone, though to be truthful, his strike zone isn’t very large, however does get overly aggressive with two strikes and expands the zone considerably. He might all the time simply be a “swing first, ask questions later” hitter, since he could make contact with so many pitches, and he’s received grade-55 energy already.
He’s heavy, even after dropping some weight (and holding it off) within the final 12 months, and that’s going to make it exhausting for him to deal with on a regular basis catching duties, as he’s not very agile behind the plate, and his just-average arm doesn’t assist issues. He may very well be an occasional backstop who principally handles first base and/or DH, gaining lots of worth from the video games he does catch and from what ought to be constantly excessive batting averages with 15-20 homers a 12 months.
Detroit picked up Liranzo together with Trey Sweeney within the commerce that despatched Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers, solely to go on an unbelievable run to the playoffs after the deadline, which looks like a win-win to me. Liranzo began the 12 months slowly for Excessive-A Nice Lakes, and was hitting .220/.344/.356 on the time of the deal, however then considerably inexplicably took off with the change of surroundings — he hit .315/.470/.562 in 26 video games for the Tigers’ affiliate in West Michigan, then went to the AFL and hit .375/.492/.667 in 15 extra video games, strolling greater than he struck out at each spots.
He’s fairly cellular behind the plate and has a 70 arm, needing to work extra on receiving to stay a full-time catcher. His bat is particular — he’s received a quiet, straightforward swing that also produces plus uncooked energy as a result of he’s so sturdy to start with, and his ball/strike recognition is great already. He had no bother adjusting to offspeed stuff within the AFL, in distinction to a lot of the common season the place he bumped into some issue with sliders and changeups. He was on the youthful facet for Excessive A at age 20 and doubtless ought to spend all of this 12 months in Double A to work on his catching and maintain tightening up that pitch recognition. It’s 25-homer, .350+ OBP upside in a switch-hitter, and if he’s even a forty five catcher, he’ll be a 4-5 win participant in his peak years.
Lowder reached the majors simply over a 12 months after the Reds took him with the No. 7 select of Wake Forest, exhibiting three pitches with a ton of motion albeit rather less velocity than he had proven in school. His greatest pitch as an novice was his changeup, which is difficult to choose up out of his hand and has each fading and tumbling motion to it, nevertheless it was really much less efficient at producing whiffs than his 92-95 mph four-seamer or his high-spin slider in his six big-league begins, even simply towards lefties.
All three of his pitches ought to be above-average, with the run serving to the fastball play up and sharp downward break to the slider, so it was shocking that he gave up a lot contact, with a 41 p.c hard-hit fee, in his debut. Even with that prime contact fee, Lowder was very fortunate within the majors, with a 1.17 ERA however a 3.10 FIP, and even that latter determine doesn’t regulate for the improbability of permitting 0 homers in 30 innings. He’s major-league prepared and doubtless a league-average starter given his present velocity and what appears like 55 management and perhaps 45 command, with after all the prospect to get past that if he begins working much less within the coronary heart of the zone along with his fastballs. (Chances are you’ll not give a rattling, however he’s the primary participant named Rhett in big-league historical past.)
The highest lefty within the 2024 draft class, Smith received higher yearly at Arkansas, culminating in a 12 months the place he struck out 17 batters in his second outing towards an Oregon State lineup that featured eventual No. 1 decide Travis Bazzana. Smith labored at 92-97 with a plus slider and will get some added deception from a cool supply and a beginning place on the acute first-base facet of the rubber, though that latter level makes it more durable for him to find his fastball or changeup to his glove facet (which might be inside to righties). He takes an enormous stride in the direction of the plate and generates a ton of arm velocity, coming from a slot under three-quarters which, given who drafted him, brings the identify “Chris Sale” to thoughts.
He had Tommy John surgical procedure in highschool, lacking his senior 12 months, however has been wholesome ever since and noticed his velocity and outcomes creep up every year. He’s a possible No. 2 starter, though I’d prefer to see him transfer a bit of extra in the direction of the center of the rubber so he can work extra successfully to each side of the zone.
Boston shocked everybody in 2020 once they took Yorke, a highschool second baseman who needed to transfer off shortstop after shoulder surgical procedure, within the first spherical, however his first full professional season in 2021 appeared to vindicate them when he hit .325/.412/.516 at each A-ball ranges. His follow-up in 2022 was marred by a number of accidents, together with a nagging left wrist subject that interrupted his stint within the Arizona Fall League, and his 2023 fell someplace in between, so it appeared like he’d settled in as a future common however one with out a lot upside. He did nothing after returning to Double A to begin 2024, however from the second Boston promoted him to Triple A, he changed into Rogers Hornsby, hitting .333/.420/.498 even via a commerce to the Pirates for Quinn Priester. These numbers got here with tons of exhausting contact: He peaked at 111 mph, half his balls in play have been exhausting hit (95 mph+), and the typical velocity of that higher half (his EV50) was 101.9 mph, all of which have been comfortably above the MLB medians.
His swing could be very easy and direct; it doesn’t have a ton of loft, so he’s in all probability not going to be an enormous energy man (barring a swing change), and as an alternative ought to run excessive BABIPs and averages, perhaps difficult for the league lead in doubles. He’s a solid-average defender at second and his throwing has improved sufficient that he’s not going to have any bother staying there, though the left facet of the infield might be out of the query. My evaluations of Yorke have been in all places since he was drafted, so take this with much more grains of salt than common, however I’m shopping for Yorke now as a future 55, an above-average common who’ll have some years when he’s an All-Star as a result of he hits for such a excessive batting common.
Rocker’s street to the majors was … uh, rocky? Sorry, I’ll work on that. He was the No. 10 decide in 2021, however the Mets didn’t like one thing in his post-draft bodily, so he went to indy ball and pitched nicely sufficient to go No. 3 to Texas in 2022, however blew out his elbow six begins into his professional debut the subsequent 12 months. He returned in 2024 and the Rangers stored shifting him up as he stored posting, ultimately getting him three begins within the majors in September the place he regarded pretty much as good as he had since his freshman 12 months at Vanderbilt.
He had lowered his arm slot again in 2022, nevertheless it’s again to its unique place, which permits him to get extra depth on his slider. The slider is well plus and is perhaps a 70 as soon as once more, and retains him on high of his 94-97 mph four-seamer. His path from right here is essentially about him — he has succeeded previously by out-stuffing guys, and being very aggressive with these two principal pitches (he has a curve and changeup, however makes use of them much less), however within the large leagues he’s going to have to indicate higher command to get forward of hitters and to keep away from lots of four-inning, 85-pitch begins. It is a wager that he’ll make these changes and find yourself at the least a mid-rotation starter, maybe somebody who pitches at the next stage than that however must skip some begins right here and there to maintain him wholesome.
Ryan’s 2024 season featured his big-league debut, so yay, nevertheless it was bookended by two accidents, the latter of which in all probability will maintain him out till 2026 as he underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in August. He began the 12 months on the shelf with a sore shoulder, however did attain the majors for 4 begins the place he confirmed electrical stuff, sitting 96-98 with experience on the four-seamer and each the slider and cutter flashing 55 or higher. The cutter was new for him in 2024 and offers him one other weapon for lefties, because it appears identical to his four-seamer however has a bit of last-second break downward to idiot hitters, though within the majors he leaned on the changeup greater than the cutter. He’s a transformed infielder who’s very athletic on the mound and has already made unbelievable progress in command and management and has proven the flexibility to make changes from one 12 months to the subsequent. The damage and the misplaced time do harm his total outlook. He’s a No. 2 starter if he comes again at one hundred pc and may maintain up for a full season.
Quero got here to the White Sox within the 2023 deadline deal that despatched Lucas Giolito (briefly) to the Angels. He reached Triple A final 12 months in his first full 12 months in Chicago, hitting nicely at two ranges with very sturdy OBPs. He’s a sophisticated hitter for his age, which balances out among the lack of projection in his physique, as he’s not more likely to get that a lot stronger and additional enhancements should come from tweaks to his mechanics or swing selections. He’s a change hitter who’s undoubtedly higher from the suitable facet, with giant platoon splits the final two years — in that span, he hit .342/.440/.510 towards lefties, and .242/.351/.370 towards righties. His greatest space of enchancment final 12 months was utilizing his sturdy ball/strike recognition to swing extra — he swung at 39 p.c of pitches he noticed in 2023, then upped that to 47 p.c final 12 months, and, lo and behold, he hit higher throughout the board, together with boosting his slugging proportion towards right-handed pitchers by 111 factors. He hit 16 homers final 12 months, however doesn’t challenge to supply a lot if any extra energy than that; he’s extra more likely to be a high-doubles man with sturdy on-base expertise.
Quero stays a solid-average defender with a mean arm, nonetheless engaged on among the finer factors of the place but in addition a no-doubt catcher whose bat appears prefer it’ll make him a daily there. He could also be higher off in some form of gentle platoon position, relying on how a lot of the development towards righties was actual, however there’s nonetheless on a regular basis ceiling right here.
Genao had a disappointing 12 months in 2023 in Low A, hitting .263/.345/.385 in 72 video games after lacking the primary two months with a torn meniscus, however he went again to Low A to begin 2024 and hit all 12 months lengthy — .341/.383/.553 repeating Low A, then .322/.377/.463 after a June promotion to Excessive A. He’s grown considerably since he was first measured at his “official” top and weight of 5-9, 150, gaining important energy but in addition attending to the purpose the place he may find yourself outgrowing shortstop. He’s a switch-hitter who’s higher from the left facet however succesful sufficient from the suitable facet to stick with it, really hitting with extra energy right-handed in every of the final two years. He’s a mean runner and never terribly twitchy, with second or third base extra probably than shortstop, however his bat ought to nonetheless make him an above-average common at both spot.
Mathews was a senior signal out of Stanford in 2023 who succeeded with a plus changeup and above-average command however labored at 90-92 when going as soon as every week. He gained a ton of velocity final offseason, nevertheless, working 92-97 on the four-seamer, with a slider that’s simpler now within the mid-80s regardless of low spin charges and gentle break. The end result was that he raced from A-ball via 4 ranges and led all minor-league pitchers with 202 strikeouts, solely working into some bother when he received to Triple A.
His arm velocity on the changeup is rather like it’s on the fastball, however the pitch comes out 10 mph or extra slower and has some tumble as nicely, flummoxing hitters who assume it’s coming in at 94, and the funk in his supply additional provides to the deception of the pitch. That stated, I don’t love the supply; there’s lots of effort behind the funkiness, and he takes a modest stride with some head-snap at launch. He was badly overworked as a university senior, particularly within the postseason, after which noticed his velocity soar up very quickly within a 12 months, which appears in my expertise to typically precede elbow accidents (that is based mostly on anecdotal proof, to be clear). He’s clearly handed a lot of the Cardinals’ different pitching prospects and might be the most effective man referred to as up for a rotation spot within the majors if there’s an damage — or in the event that they transfer one in all their veterans in a commerce earlier than Opening Day.
I want the Brewers would simply give Black the first-base job and name it a day; he ought to outperform Rhys Hoskins’ 2024 line fairly handily after hitting .258/.375/429 in Triple A final 12 months. Black is extraordinarily disciplined on the plate and already has a fame for combating for each strike; his chase fee is nice at 20 p.c (simply in Triple A), not distinctive, however he related with these ultimately extra half of the time, both fouling them off or placing them in play. He not often whiffs and has proven he can hit lefties up via the highest ranges of the minors. He doesn’t throw nicely sufficient for the left facet of the infield after shoulder surgical procedure, though he runs nicely sufficient to perhaps play middle and positively may play second if the Brewers didn’t have already got Brice Turang there. He’s a really succesful first baseman, if an untraditional one, with common energy and his actual energy in getting on base. Black could be extra useful at one other spot, which is why he’s on this place within the rankings, however for his present group he’s additionally their greatest inside possibility at a less-valuable place he can play.
White was the Marlins’ second decide within the 2023 draft, an enormous highschool lefty out of Massachusetts who had large stuff however questions round his lengthy arm swing and current command. He turned lots of that on its head in spring coaching final 12 months, exhibiting up in unbelievable form and with a transparent willpower to get higher any approach he may, and ended up pitching higher after a midyear promotion to Excessive A. White topped out at 97.6 mph within the Florida State League final 12 months and sat 94-96 along with his high-spin four-seamer, getting good experience on the high of the zone, together with an simply plus changeup and a slider that regarded about common however performed exceptionally nicely even at a comparatively low velocity for the pitch (principally 78-82). His supply is fairly straightforward, maybe nonetheless missing deception — a priority scouts raised when he was an novice — nevertheless it didn’t have an effect on him anyplace in A-ball and I wouldn’t change something proper now. If he will get extra energy to the slider, which at the least has above-average spin charges to work with, he may simply have three plus pitches, with a 200-inning starter’s construct and what now appears like at the least common command. White did a terrific job getting ready himself for the season final winter and the Marlins might need a future ace.
Hope was a part of the four-player commerce that despatched Michael Busch and Yency Almonte to the Cubs, bringing Hope and Jackson Ferris to the Dodgers, a deal that received the Cubs their greatest season from a primary baseman since 2019, however that has additionally given the Dodgers two of their high six prospects. Hope appeared like a longshot when the Cubs took him within the eleventh spherical in 2023 out of a small highschool in central Virginia; he was an amazing athlete with plus velocity however no historical past of hitting even respectable pitching and poor instincts within the outfield. Quick ahead a 12 months and he’s turn into a a lot, significantly better hitter in each approach, bettering his pitch choice and recognition, getting stronger (to the purpose the place he in all probability doesn’t have lots of bodily projection left), and changing into at the least a mean defender in an outfield nook.
He doesn’t chase pitches out of the zone and he actually doesn’t miss something inside, no matter pitch sorts. He’s extra weak to velocity up and/or away and pitchers are going to attempt to assault him there or down with offspeed stuff, however he’s made so many changes already it appears cheap to wager he’ll regulate once more as wanted. He’s each little bit of a 70 runner and exhibits plus energy already, and you may challenge 30/30 on him fairly simply if he continues to hit and management the zone as he strikes up the ladder. He did have some extra bother with higher pitching within the AFL, and the transfer as much as Excessive A and a worse hitter’s atmosphere this 12 months will inform us extra about simply how superior he’s and the way a lot time he may must get to the majors. Hope’s upside is gigantic, with a large variance in potential outcomes.
Briceño signed with the Tigers in January 2022 for $800,000 as a catcher with some offensive potential, however at this level it appears like he’s simply going to be a primary baseman who mashes. He had performed solely 11 video games above the advanced leagues coming into 2024, then received harm 28 video games into the Florida State League season, lacking three months with a strained PCL in his proper knee. To make up for a few of that misplaced time, he went to the Arizona Fall League, the place he was one of many youngest gamers at 19 and one in all a really small variety of gamers there who hadn’t performed above Low A but. In 25 video games, he hit completely all the pieces. It’s a hitter’s atmosphere out within the desert, certain, however his .433/.509/.867 line was ok to steer the league in common and slugging.
He’s an enormous man, listed at 6-4, 200, and doubtless stronger than that, however his swing could be very straightforward and quiet, and he’s reached 109 mph in every of his two stints in Low A already, with an EV50 simply over 100 mph. He additionally confirmed sturdy pitch recognition within the Florida State League and in Arizona, and barely swung and missed; if there’s a knock on his offense, it’s that he’s a bit of too pull-heavy now, though he’s additionally hardly had the necessity to attempt to do anything. He solely performed first base in Arizona with Thayron Liranzo there, and Briceño was already iffy as a catcher even earlier than the knee damage. I feel his future is at first, and it would behoove the Tigers to only put him there now and let him go rake slightly than sluggish his improvement or threat additional damage at a place he’s already unlikely to play. He is perhaps a high 20 prospect in a 12 months from his bat alone.
Caglianone was a two-way star at Florida, hitting 35 homers as a junior whereas additionally making 16 begins, though his future is far brighter as a hitter than on the mound. He has 80 uncooked energy and did work to chop his strikeout fee from his sophomore 12 months (18.1 p.c) to his junior 12 months (8.2 p.c), lacking much less typically on pitches within the zone. He nonetheless chases pitches out of the zone approach too typically, doing so almost 40 p.c of the time final spring, and must develop extra of a two-strike strategy and work on going the opposite approach on pitches outdoors, as he’s very pull-heavy.
As a pitcher, has been as much as 99 and exhibits at the least a mean changeup, nevertheless it’s a cross-body supply with lots of effort to it, leading to nicely under common management (15.4 p.c stroll fee in two years for the Gators), and he’s already had one Tommy John surgical procedure in highschool. The Royals have stated thus far that they intend to let him hit and pitch, which in all probability means he’s going to remain at first base to guard his arm; I’d like to see him simply deal with hitting, given the 40-homer upside and the necessity for some large changes, which could additionally let him deal with proper area.
Williams had a breakout 12 months in 2023, however he began to really feel ache in his proper wrist throughout an terrible begin in April final season and ultimately had surgical procedure that stored him out for precisely 4 months, limiting him to 30 complete video games together with his rehab task. He didn’t hit nicely anyplace apart from the one six-game collection he spent in Triple A, nonetheless drawing loads of walks however with none influence when he did make contact — which may simply be a results of the wrist damage. He went to the Fall League to choose up some extra at-bats, and was a forty five defender at brief there and working nearer to common than plus, and is perhaps higher suited to second base whatever the presence of Francisco Lindor at shortstop in Queens. It’s a compact swing mixed with superb ball/strike consciousness, and he may very well be a high-average/high-OBP second baseman with 55-60 protection, which might make him a strong or higher common. His 2024 season was only a misplaced 12 months, and whereas he can’t get these at-bats again, it’s additionally doable that we’ll have to only disregard what he did do when he performed as a result of he wasn’t one hundred pc.
Keaschall was the Twins’ second-round decide in 2023 out of Arizona State and completed his first full professional season in Double A, hitting nicely at two ranges with very excessive contact charges and a few shocking energy. Keaschall has all the time proven good consciousness of the strike zone and that carried over into professional ball, with a chase fee underneath 20 p.c on the season, and glorious pitch recognition to associate with it. He’d had points with fastballs up in school, however he’s looser on the plate now and will get to these pitches extra typically. He’s additionally staying again longer earlier than transferring his weight to his entrance facet, permitting him to get extra energy from his decrease half and serving to him swat 15 homers in 102 video games final 12 months.
He’s near a 60 runner and may find yourself a 55 or higher defender at second, simply missing the arm to maneuver to brief or third, and range-wise he appears greater than able to dealing with centerfield. He performed with a torn UCL final 12 months and ended up present process Tommy John surgical procedure in August, so we’ll must see what his arm energy appears like on his return. He’s a really probably common so long as he can nonetheless deal with the throws from second base, and his bat may even profile if he has to maneuver to left within the worst case situation.
Dana didn’t belong within the large leagues final season, and his 9.58 ERA in three begins shouldn’t be held towards him. He had a wildly profitable 12 months as a 20-year-old in Double A with simply 76 innings of earlier professional expertise. He posted a 2.52 ERA within the minors, putting out 27.2 p.c of batters and strolling simply 7.2 p.c, making 23 begins for Rocket Metropolis after which the three extra for the Angels to make for about as full a season of labor as you’ll discover for a 20-year-old pitching prospect.
Dana principally works with a 92-95 mph fastball and an above-average slider, with an occasional changeup that has good deception and a bit of tumble, and a curveball that’s not unhealthy however that he barely makes use of. He’ll have to make use of the changeup extra to proceed to maintain lefties in examine, as he did in Double A, however in any other case he has a superb pitch combine and his supply ought to get him to at the least above-average command. He’s received a strong flooring as a No. 4 starter and is younger sufficient to maintain refining his pitches and his total pitching plan and get to a No. 2.
Rosario posted a 7.11 ERA in his draft 12 months for the College of Miami, and a 7.05 ERA as a sophomore, regardless of a superb arm and a possible out pitch in his splitter that he barely used, as Miami had him working extra sinker/changeup. The Rangers took him within the fifth spherical for the standard of his stuff — clearly not for the standard of his outcomes — and instructed him to throw the splitter and go along with a four-seamer up, and voila!, prompt prospect!
He works from the acute third-base facet of the rubber, getting some extra deception towards righties, as he has the splitter for lefties and may nonetheless be efficient towards them even with out throwing offspeed stuff on the internal third to them. He has elite management already, pounding the strike zone along with his fastball and strolling simply 3.7 p.c of batters he confronted at each ranges of A-ball final 12 months, though that’s more likely to go up as older hitters lay off the splitter when it’s out of the zone. He repeats his supply to maintain up the management, and whereas he’s not very tall he appears sturdy sufficient to deal with a starter’s workload. At the same time as is, sitting 92-95 with the plus splitter and a maybe-average slider, he ought to be a mid-rotation starter and get to the majors this 12 months.
Waldschmidt received first-round buzz for a lot of the spring of 2024 however ended up sliding to the No. 31 decide, probably as a result of groups had issues in regards to the ACL tear he suffered a 12 months prior. Proper now that appears like a boon for the Diamondbacks, who took him with their second choice of the draft. He had the most effective pure hit instruments within the draft, not often lacking a fastball and usually not chasing a lot on any pitches. He hit .370/.500/.653 for Kentucky regardless of a large setup and no stride, which restricted how a lot he may generate energy from his decrease half and resulted in a swing that would get too steep as he tried to loft the ball. He does have room so as to add 20-25 kilos, and has already made some small mechanical changes to attempt to loosen up his hips and maintain his swing in that optimum vary for energy. In tutorial league, the DBacks tried him at third base, the place he final performed as a freshman at Charleston Southern earlier than he transferred to Kentucky, however the outcomes weren’t good and he ought to simply go to an outfield nook and keep there. He has .300 common/25-homer upside if he can loosen up these hips.
Montes is a big, lumbering prospect from Cuba who hits the ball exceptionally exhausting, so the pure comparability is to a younger Yordan Alvarez, who was older than Montes when he first performed in full-season ball however reached the majors days earlier than his twenty second birthday. Montes is extraordinarily sturdy and has produced exit velocities nicely north of 110 mph, with clear 40 homer upside so long as he hits sufficient to get to it. He’s not as pure of a hitter as Alvarez, though the Mariners labored with him on pitch choice and a two-strike strategy final 12 months and he did see higher swing selections total. He raked in Low A as a 19-year-old, hitting .309/.411/.527 with only a 19.1 p.c strikeout fee, then moved as much as Excessive A across the midpoint and hit .260/.378/.427 there with a 29.6 p.c strikeout fee, nonetheless making exhausting contact however much more whiffs on stuff within the zone.
He’s going to finish up at first base, as he’s already actually large for an outfield nook and doesn’t have a lot vary, however there’s a fairly good probability he hits for sufficient energy and takes sufficient walks to be an above-average common there. I don’t assume Montes is absolutely the subsequent Yordan; he doesn’t have the identical form of hit instrument, however he additionally doesn’t have Yordan’s knees, which each required surgical procedure when he was 23 and made him even much less cellular than he was earlier than.
Ingle was a part-time catcher at Clemson when Cleveland took him within the fourth spherical in 2023 and introduced him as a catcher, a challenge that after all would make his high-contact, low-power bat much more viable. A 12 months and a half later, the challenge appears like a powerful success, as Ingle reached Double A final 12 months, has walked greater than he’s struck out as a professional, and has improved his protection to the purpose the place he’s clearly going to remain at catcher.
Ingle is aware of the strike zone extraordinarily nicely, and he whiffed simply 14 p.c of the time he swung final 12 months, with a brief, fast swing that has a bit of extra raise in its end than it did in school, bringing his groundball fee down from 55 p.c as a university junior to 45 p.c final 12 months. His protection isn’t fairly however he can catch and block, and a fast switch helps his fringy arm play as much as the purpose the place he’s enough towards the working sport. He hit 11 homers final 12 months between Excessive A and Double A, all off right-handed pitchers, and he’ll have to indicate he could make higher high quality contact towards lefties, whereas now he simply walks towards them. He’s small however nicely put collectively, and along with his contact and on-base expertise he may very well be a .375 OBP/.400 SLG man, which is a heck of a daily behind the plate even when he’s simply fringy defensively.
Freeland broke his hamate bone in his draft 12 months in 2022, then struggled in his full-season debut in 2023, hitting .240/.345/.362 in Excessive Some time coping with some minor accidents. His manufacturing took off final 12 months after getting absolutely wholesome and making some small changes to his swing. He ripped via Excessive A and hit .245/.370/.422 in half a season in Double A earlier than a promotion to Triple A to complete the season, the place he hit .243/.335/.396 however had some glorious underlying information. Born with a clubfoot that required a number of surgical procedures, Freeland runs near common and performs an average-ish shortstop now with a plus arm. He’s dabbled a bit of at second and third, enjoying about 50 innings at every spot final 12 months, and the chances are he’ll find yourself at a type of spots in the long term.
He’s a switch-hitter who doesn’t publish large exit velocities but in addition doesn’t publish lots of low ones both, averaging over 91 mph in his temporary Triple-A time regardless of by no means hitting something above 107. He’s additionally a really disciplined hitter who doesn’t chase or whiff fairly often, and has proven above-average energy already, with 53 extra-base hits final 12 months, together with 18 homers. There isn’t actually any projection right here past additional creating the hit instrument towards higher pitching. He doesn’t really want to do something extra to be a strong common at second or third, or an above-average one if he does handle to stay at shortstop.
Chourio spent all of 2024 in Low A as a 19-year-old and ended up rating tenth in the entire minors with 86 walks, probably the most drawn by any teenager in minor league baseball final 12 months. Jackson’s youthful brother can be a centerfielder and a very good athlete, a switch-hitter and centerfielder proper now who may find yourself in a nook as he continues to fill out and who might find yourself simply hitting left-handed. He’s a robust defender proper now up the center with above-average velocity, so if he can preserve that even with the bodily projection he has left, he may stay in middle in the long run.
His plate self-discipline and hand-eye are excellent, resulting in chase and whiff charges nicely above (higher than) common, though he wants so as to add some hand energy to get some extra constant loft in his end. His groundball fee in 2024 was 49.3 p.c, which was really his lowest fee at any cease in professional ball. He’s been significantly better from the left facet; batting right-handed final 12 months, he hit simply .245/.409/.283, with extra walks (16) than complete bases (15). It is perhaps a bat velocity query, as his right-handed bat path appears advantageous and he really will get a bit of extra loft than he does left-handed.
He doesn’t have Jackson’s ceiling, however there’s a situation right here the place Jaison stays in middle and figures out hitting towards lefties sufficient to be a grade 60 participant, with 20ish homers and really excessive OBPs, and the ground is absolutely strong given his very actual persistence and probability of plus protection in a nook. His 2024 did finish with a damaged wrist, so it’s doable he received’t get all of the energy again till a while this summer time.
Rainer was the second highschool participant taken within the 2024 draft and the highest excessive schooler on my draft board, rating extremely as a real shortstop with a plus arm and sneaky energy that offers him the prospect to be a two-way influence participant. He’s a plus defender with nice instincts, exhibiting actual management on his highschool group on the sphere (corresponding to directing different gamers on positioning) and a plus arm that’s been as much as 95 on the mound. He’s power-over-hit proper now, with lots of leverage in his swing and good loft to drive the ball to all fields, however his bat velocity is simply truthful and when he noticed good velocity as an novice he struggled. He’s nonetheless fairly uncooked, particularly for a California highschool child, with lots of room for bodily and expertise enhancements, and the Tigers will in all probability have the ability to assist him tighten up the swing to be shorter to the ball. It’s 20-homer upside in a plus defensive shortstop so long as he hits sufficient to get to it.
Nimmala was one of many youngest draftees in 2023, turning 18 4 months after he was picked, and as such ought to have began 2024 within the advanced league slightly than Low A, however after a torrid spring coaching the Jays despatched him to the Florida State League … and he struggled, hitting .167/280/.306 with a 34 p.c strikeout fee earlier than the Jays despatched him again to the advanced to reset. After three weeks there, he went to the advanced league for a number of video games, then returned to Low A and hit .265/.331/.564 the remainder of the way in which. He ended up main the Florida State League in slugging (.476) and completed fifth within the league with 15 homers, all because the league’s youngest qualifying hitter. He’s a real shortstop with good actions and a plus arm, and the facility he confirmed on the sphere is legit, as he’s received very sturdy arms and wrists, with a swing that’s very rotational and places the ball within the air a ton — his groundball fee in Low A final 12 months was simply 31.4 p.c. He’s nonetheless solely 19 and stays projectable sufficient to finish up a 30-homer bat in a number of years; proper now it’s extra constantly exhausting contact (his ninetieth percentile EV in Low A was 102.3 mph, and his EV50 was 99.0 mph on the dot) than large top-end EV (peak was 107). He’s nonetheless a high-risk, high-reward participant, as he continued to strike out 29.7 p.c of the time in his second go-round in Low A, and usually must tighten up his pitch recognition and produce his chase fee (31 p.c) down at the least a bit of. I maintain coming again to his outcomes for his age, although — he was youthful than Dante Nori, the Phillies’ first-round decide in 2024, for one instance — and the potential for large energy at a place up the center. He’s nonetheless each bit the prospect that made him a first-rounder within the 2023 draft — and a top-10 expertise alone board.
Caba was the centerpiece of the commerce that despatched Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies, because the Marlins went for some ceiling by including the younger shortstop, who is without doubt one of the greatest defensive infielders within the minors. Caba is perhaps an 80 defender already, with a plus arm, unbelievable instincts, and fast actions on the place. He performed all of 2024 at age 18 and hit .254/.427/.335 within the Florida Advanced League, strolling 51 occasions and putting out simply 34, earlier than a late-season promotion to Low A, the place he nonetheless made contact however solely hit .179/.304/.190. His strategy is actual — slightly than that of somebody who’s up there to stroll — and now he must get stronger to have the ability to do extra when he does put the ball in play. His swings are good from each side of the plate; he can open his hips too early from both facet, robbing him of among the energy he may get from his decrease half. He solely turned 19 in November, so he’s going to get stronger from right here. He doesn’t want plus and even common energy to be a high quality common given his protection and his on-base expertise.
Cleveland drafted Velazquez within the first spherical in 2023 and instantly moved him out from behind the plate to permit him to develop his bat and maybe attain the majors extra rapidly than he in any other case would have. His first full professional season was a promising register that route. He received off to a terrific begin as a 19-year-old in Low A, hitting .261/.371/.441 within the first half, earlier than carrying down within the second half. He’s an enormous, sturdy child, however a greater hitter than you may count on at first look, putting out simply 20.1 p.c of the time in Low A whilst one of many youngest gamers in full-season ball, and he does make exhausting sufficient contact to challenge to 25 homers at his peak. He hits with a large stance and no stride, only a toe-tap for timing, so he doesn’t get all the facility he may out of his decrease half and his swing can flatten out as a result of he doesn’t absolutely rotate his hips.
The Guardians tried him in left area final 12 months in addition to at first base, and he was succesful sufficient that they’ll in all probability maintain that alive as a risk for him going ahead. His future is in his bat, with contact expertise and zone consciousness that set him up very nicely for future success, and cleanup-hitter upside if he loosens up a bit of to drive the ball extra simply.
Horton was getting near a big-league callup final 12 months when he suffered what was first referred to as a lat pressure in his begin on Might 29. It turned out to be a Grade 2 pressure of the subscap muscle in his rotator cuff, and his season was over. He’s nonetheless rehabbing and ought to be good to go for spring coaching, though the Cubs might select to maintain him on a pitch or innings restrict as he builds again up.
Horton has two plus pitches in his wipeout slider, which he added close to the top of his final 12 months at Oklahoma, and a changeup that’s improved considerably for the reason that Cubs received their arms on him. His fastball is 92-96 however performs down from it as a result of he doesn’t have lots of deception. It has a bit of reduce and pitch fashions prefer it, however hitters prefer it too, hitting it exhausting when it’s within the zone. He’s in all probability going to must be a 40 p.c fastball man and work extra to the perimeters of the zone with it, because it’s not a high-ride pitch for the highest of the zone and undoubtedly not one he can use within the coronary heart to get whiffs, however he has the 2 actual weapons to get guys out and has proven above-average management up via Double A. He’s a starter so long as he’s wholesome, perhaps a No. 3 who takes a short while to determine his optimum pitching plan. We’ll know much more as soon as he will get right into a sport in Arizona.
Dollander’s 2024 season was kind of a consolidation 12 months for him, as he received a few of his slider again however doesn’t have it as a constant plus pitch because it was again in 2022. As a sophomore at Tennessee, he had a wipeout slider, simply a grade 70, and should have been the most effective school pitcher within the nation that spring, however that offseason he went to some kind of self-styled professional and switched to a sweeper that was ineffective — though it helped the Rockies get him on the ninth decide within the 2023 draft. His changeup has improved considerably within the final two years to be a solid-average pitch, with a bit of wiggle on the finish to assist however principally deceiving hitters from how he throws it. The slider is the important thing; when it’s on, it’s 85-87 with exhausting tilt and an enormous transfer away from right-handers. It might probably find yourself extra cutter-like at 89-90, nonetheless efficient however with a special form that makes it look extra just like the fastball, and will even be his greatest strategy to lefties slightly than the changeup. The Rockies have already helped him get a part of the way in which again to his 2022 kind, and if they will get that slider to be extra constant, it’ll be an actual out-pitch, and the weapon he’ll want given his simply common command and management. He has a fourth starter flooring, however extra upside because the slider develops or recovers.
Mitchell’s first 12 months in a full-season league was a combined bag, a web optimistic on the finish that didn’t reply among the issues that dated again to when the Royals first drafted him at No. 8 in 2023. He’s received energy, almost getting to twenty homers as a teen in Low A, and the Royals have helped loosen him up a bit of by decreasing the very large stance he utilized in highschool to a extra typical one which has him again within the field to begin, giving him numerous room to stride ahead and get his hips rotating. He confirmed glorious ball-strike recognition final 12 months as nicely, and whereas he had some issue with offspeed stuff, he’s shedding extra of these pitches once they’re not strikes than he did earlier than.
He appeared to put on down by the summer time; he hit .257/.391/.468 within the first half, putting out too typically (31.2 p.c), then hit .195/.338/.372 from the All-Star break till a promotion to Excessive A for the final two weeks of the season. Mitchell isn’t a lot of a runner, at the least not by the stopwatch, however he’s improved his baserunning considerably and stole 25 luggage in 32 makes an attempt. He has a cannon of an arm, with common to above-average receiving and blocking expertise now that would find yourself plus. Mitchell has already made some large changes since he signed, which is the most effective harbinger of a participant’s capacity to make additional changes. I’m inspired by the progress in his swing selections; if he continues that pattern, he’s going to finish up an above-average common, even when it takes him one other three or so years to get to the majors.
Arroyo missed the entire 2024 common season after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder in March, present process surgical procedure that stored him out till the Arizona Fall League, the place he performed 18 video games however regarded understandably rusty. He has the instruments to be a plus defender at brief, with glorious vary and a robust arm, however stays very inconsistent within the area, missing nice timing, dropping his arm on lots of throws, and in any other case making scouts query whether or not he’ll have the talents to remain there long run. He has bat velocity and has proven he can deal with good fastballs, nonetheless needing to get stronger and to enhance his breaking-ball recognition. He’s additionally an above-average to plus runner who ought to add worth on the bases.
He’s nonetheless simply 21 and has time so as to add that energy and work on the pitch recognition, though he’s misplaced in all probability 400 or so at-bats that he can’t simply get well because of the damage. Arroyo has on a regular basis ceiling as a shortstop if he can bear down and get extra constant on protection, or he may very well be a strong common at second base if he fills out some extra and begins hitting the ball more durable.
I very not often put worldwide free brokers on my high 100 earlier than they’ve performed a sport within the U.S. advanced leagues, however two issues labored in Made’s favor this 12 months: the minors are as skinny as ever in elite prospects, and he’s actually *&^ing good. Made signed for simply $950,000 in January 2024 and had a fame as a power-over-hit man, however as an alternative he confirmed up within the DSL and confirmed a far more mature strategy on the plate than anticipated, strolling greater than he struck out — that’s not that onerous to do within the DSL, simply don’t ever swing — and making superb swing selections. He’s barely begun to fill out however already makes exhausting, loud contact from each side of the plate, getting in comparison with Jackson Chourio on the identical age, however with higher batted-ball information. He’s a shortstop now with a plus arm that may assist him with a possible transfer to 3rd base as soon as he’s a bit of older, and the Brewers have already given him time at third and second, so they could be considering alongside the identical strains. He may simply be a high 20 prospect at the moment subsequent 12 months if the strategy and the loud contact carry over to the ACL and even Low A.
Ford had a combined 12 months in 2024, shifting as much as Double A and persevering with to get on base, albeit with barely worse outcomes throughout the board on the plate, whereas his protection behind the plate was worse and there’s extra probability now that he finally ends up at DH than there was a 12 months in the past. He nonetheless has very sturdy plate self-discipline, chasing pitches out of the zone simply 19 p.c of the time, about one-third of these have been pitches only one ball’s width outdoors of the zone. He has proven he can lay off many right-handers’ sliders down and away. He has extra uncooked energy than his .367 slugging proportion would suggest, however final 12 months he simply didn’t sq. the ball up anyplace close to as constantly has he had earlier than, and his tendency to pop up pitches a bit of above the belt received worse. He’s a plus runner and nice athlete who strikes nicely behind the dish, however he’s a forty five receiver proper now and his plus arm hasn’t translated into even common caught-stealing charges.
The Mariners did strive him a number of video games in left area this 12 months, however the early returns weren’t promising. He’s 21, is aware of the strike zone, has untapped energy, and could be very athletic, all causes to nonetheless imagine there’s upside right here, however Ford’s 2024 season was form of a disappointment, and if he doesn’t keep behind the plate I’m undecided the bat will profile as a daily at another spot.
King spent two years at Division II Wingate College, then transferred to Wake Forest for his junior 12 months and excelled for the Deacons regardless of the massive soar in competitors, hitting .308/.377/.577 with only a 12 p.c strikeout fee. He principally performed third base and centerfield for Wake, often shifting to shortstop when Marek Houston was harm or wanted a time off, however the Nats took King with the No. 10 decide and solely performed him at brief in his professional debut. He’s a 55 defender there now and will nonetheless enhance given his lack of expertise and restricted instruction there.
He’s received a fast bat and could be very aggressive on the plate, particularly early in counts, as a result of he can put so many pitches in play, even ones out of the zone — for now, at the least, as that doesn’t all the time work as you get additional up the ladder. He’s received sneaky pop, perhaps good for 15 homers a 12 months, however his sport goes to be way more about hitting for contact and common, since his present swing doesn’t get a ton of raise on the ball. His 55/60 velocity makes him a strong defender in middle if shortstop doesn’t work out, however he’s Most worthy at brief and I feel he’s going to hit greater than sufficient to be an excellent common there.
Arroyo wanted to get to extra energy, and he did in 2024, repeating Low A and boosting his slugging proportion by 127 factors, then heading as much as Excessive A and hitting .290/.397/.519 — all earlier than his twentieth birthday. He signed in January 2022 with the fame of being a sophisticated hitter, and that’s been true, as he has a terrific strategy that has him aggressive inside the strike zone with out increasing outdoors of it too typically. He’s brief with a stockier construct, with actually no probability to remain at shortstop, so there was extra stress on him to hit the ball more durable, and he did so, with large enhancements in his batted-ball information and his energy output. He hit 5 homers complete in 61 video games in 2023, then hit 23 in 120 video games final 12 months. He barrels the ball very constantly and places it within the air over 60 p.c of the time. Within the area, he has a plus arm and ok arms to remain on the grime someplace, enjoying nearly all of his reps at second base final 12 months however with third base additionally a risk so long as he doesn’t get a lot larger from right here. We’ve seen loads of undersized infielders turn into All-Stars in recent times as a result of they might sq. the ball up for frequent exhausting contact, together with José Ramírez and Alex Bregman. That’s Arroyo’s absolute best-case situation, after all, however so long as he stays on the grime he ought to be at the least an on a regular basis participant.
Bradfield’s full-season debut went just about as anticipated, as he continued to play elite protection in middle and present 80 velocity, however he hasn’t made any adjustments on the plate to attempt to drive the ball extra constantly. He’s the most effective defensive centerfielders within the minors, with large vary due to his velocity and good reads off the bat, and that and his velocity give him a fairly clear flooring as a fourth outfielder. That’s buttressed by his high-contact strategy; he whiffed solely 15 p.c of the time he swung final 12 months, in response to information from Synergy Sports activities, and chased pitches out of the zone solely 17 p.c of the time.
He’s nonetheless received a very difficult swing that leads to lots of groundballs, though the Orioles are working with him to attempt to get him to hit extra line drives to the outfield, even simply over the infielders’ heads, and let his legs do their factor. He’s slight and never more likely to ever hit for greater than below-average energy, however he’s sturdy sufficient to ambush the occasional pitch and pull it out to proper. He began 2024 slowly however improved because the season went on, ending with a month in Double A the place he hit .287/.395/.396, which I feel might be his best-case situation within the majors. Add protection that may very well be +15 runs in a full season in middle and also you’ve received a 5-WAR participant. He simply has to maintain progressing on the plate, mechanically and in manufacturing, to get there.
Collier’s 2024 season was a combination of some superb stuff and a few unhealthy as nicely, as he mashed as a 19-year-old in Excessive A but in addition confirmed up approach larger than he had the 12 months earlier than and he must get his conditioning underneath management. He was one in all solely 9 youngsters to play all of 2024 at Excessive A or above, solely turning 20 in November, and hit .248/.355/.443 with 20 homers, tying for second in homers within the Midwest League behind a 23-year-old. He continued to enhance his swing selections, slicing approach down on his chase fee from 2023 and selecting up pitch sorts higher, whilst he was very younger for his stage.
The unhealthy is that Collier has let his physique get away from him, as he’s gotten so heavy that he may find yourself at first base, which is a waste of his athleticism and raises issues about his make-up and work ethic. There’s simply no motive for a 19-year-old along with his body to get this heavy — he’s listed at 210, however I’d guess he’s nearer to 240 — this quickly. His 30-homer upside would nonetheless make him a daily at first or DH, and he’s in all probability to finish up with 60+ walks a 12 months. He’s extra useful at third base, after all, with a robust sufficient arm for it, and he’s additionally going to place himself susceptible to again and knee issues if he doesn’t handle his measurement.
Griffin was the most effective instruments prospect within the 2024 draft class — which means he had the most effective total mixture of bodily instruments, with potential 60 or 70 grades in energy, velocity, arm, and fielding in centerfield, however nobody appears to know if he’s going to hit. The Pirates took a shot with the No. 9 decide within the draft and should be affected person, because the historical past of highschool hitters from Mississippi is fairly dismal due to the caliber of competitors these hitters face as amateurs. He’s performed brief and middle however appears significantly better within the outfield, with professional stories on his shortstop protection from instructs not particularly glowing, and he’s received a 70 arm that produced low-90s velocity when he pitched. It’s additionally large uncooked energy with a swing that generates a ton of leverage, each good from his hip rotation and unhealthy from his deep hand load that creates an extended path. He does have fast arms and may have the ability to regulate to a shorter swing with out sacrificing a lot energy if any, assuming the Pirates determine to go that route. There’s a ton of threat right here — a number of scouts have seen him, raved in regards to the instruments, and instructed me “I just don’t know if he can hit” — however Griffin affords 30/30 upside with plus protection in middle.
Sykora was the primary decide on Day 2 of the 2023 draft, and signed with Washington for a first-round bonus. All he did in 2024 was pitch like a first-rounder, as he struck out 39.2 p.c of Low-A hitters he confronted and walked simply 8.2 p.c in 85 innings throughout 20 begins, posting a 2.33 ERA. He’s a large already, and his supply has legs and arms flying in all places, so it should be terrifying for hitters to see all of that mass coming in the direction of them, adopted by a small projectile that is perhaps shifting at 99 mph. He sits extra 93-96, with a slider that ranged from the higher 70s to the mid-80s with brief however abrupt downward break, and a heavy split-change round 83-85, with each of the offspeed pitches lacking a ton of bats this 12 months.
The arm continues to be form of late relative to his entrance leg, and all of the shifting components within the supply make me suspect it’ll all the time be extra management than command for him. He additionally doesn’t appear to pitch down along with his four-seamer in any respect, which could not be a problem however simply strikes me as uncommon. Sykora pitched like a future ace final 12 months, and he has two pitches that would get him there. He might have merely out-stuffed Low-A hitters, nevertheless, and I wish to see him do it towards extra superior hitters earlier than shopping for in fully.
Caldwell would have been a top-10 decide within the 2024 draft if he have been 6-1 slightly than his precise top, which is unquestionably lower than his listed 5-9 and is perhaps as little as 5-6. Nobody doubts that he can play, although — it’s doubtlessly three plus instruments in his hit, run, and area grades, with an average-ish arm and below-average energy. He’s received a compact swing and glorious plate self-discipline, approaching at-bats like a leadoff hitter whose job is to get on base any approach he can. There’s particular bat velocity right here, sufficient to activate good velocity, however there isn’t common energy now and he doesn’t have the projection to get there. His greatest path to changing into a daily — and even an above-average one — is to be a high-OBP, high-contact hitter who steals bases and performs plus protection in middle, even with six-to-eight homers a 12 months. He’s not the subsequent Corbin Carroll, one other undersized outfielder who the Dbacks chosen and developed right into a celebrity, however he may transfer rapidly via A-ball if his plate self-discipline is absolutely pretty much as good as marketed.
I nonetheless imagine Misiorowski is one hundred pc a reliever, however I additionally assume he’s going to be the most effective relievers in baseball as soon as he will get accustomed to the position. His stuff is so good that he punched out 30 p.c of batters he confronted in Double A after which once more in a short stint in Triple A, though he’s received perhaps 40 command if you happen to’re sort. He averaged 98 on his four-seamer in Nashville, topping out at 100.7 mph, and his slider sits 90-93, with each pitches simply grading out at 70 and probably 80. His low- to mid-80s curveball provides him a special look, with some sharp downward break, though his command of that pitch is the worst of the three. He routinely will get greater than 7 1/4 ft of extension, so hitters actually don’t have any probability, and given how wild he’s anyway, who can blame them for standing there and never swinging? He walked 14.3 p.c of batters he confronted final 12 months, with perhaps the most effective two-pitch combo within the minors, the place he may ship hitters a telegram to inform them what’s coming they usually nonetheless couldn’t hit it. It’s a really high-effort supply and he hasn’t toned it down in any respect since he signed, which additional factors to a reduction position. If he strikes to the bullpen, I feel he’ll strike out 40 p.c of batters or extra and proceed to restrict exhausting contact, and turn into the most effective relievers within the majors. I simply don’t see any approach that supply and command may work in a rotation.
No participant on this checklist shocked me extra by making the reduce than del Castillo, who didn’t make my Arizona high 20 final 12 months, once I stated he “could surface as a capable backup, with some on-base skills and enough defense to catch once or twice a week.” Oops. He hadn’t hit a lot in any respect in a stint in Triple-A Reno, one of many minors’ greatest hitters’ parks, in 2023, however returned there in 2024 and hit .311/.392/.597 with a career-high 26 homers, hitting nicely on the street as nicely.
He was initially drafted in 2021 as a below-average defensive catcher who may hit however didn’t present a lot energy. He’s labored to enhance his receiving and blocking to the purpose that he’s a mean defender with a forty five arm who can actually hit and doubtless has 20-homer energy. He barreled up 10 p.c of balls he hit whereas in Triple A, and his EV50 there was 101 mph, with a swing geared to supply exhausting line drives. He’s greatest suited to a hybrid position the place he catches among the time and performs first or DHs the remainder of the time to get him into the lineup as a lot as doable. I don’t assume he’s a star, however I do assume he’s an on a regular basis participant proper now.
Taylor had a bizarre first full 12 months in professional ball in two methods — he ended up hitting for extra energy with much less contact than I feel anybody fairly anticipated, and the way in which he received to all these strikeouts (24.8 p.c in Excessive A, 36.8 p.c in Double A) was form of uncommon as nicely. Taylor hits the ball exhausting and ended up with a terrific line in Excessive A past the strikeouts, hitting .269/.389/.513 with 44 extra-base hits in 84 video games, earlier than struggling in 30 video games in Double A, the place he hit .194/.290/.435 — nonetheless exhibiting energy, however after all with approach too many Ks. He did increase his bat path a bit of, making it steeper to fabricate some extra raise, which could clarify the rise in strikeouts — he really doesn’t chase a lot in any respect, and he doesn’t miss a ton in-zone, however when he does broaden, it’s form of disastrous for him.
Common readers of mine know I don’t like DeLauter’s swing — in any respect, actually. It’s the worst-looking swing on this checklist. I’m not even certain who’s second. However DeLauter has additionally had success in all places he’s performed thus far within the minors, and the most important knock on him proper now isn’t the truth that wanting straight at his swing will flip you to stone, however that he hasn’t been in a position to keep on the sphere for a full season. For the reason that Guardians took him with the No. 16 decide in 2022, at which level he was already out with a damaged bone in his left foot, DeLauter has performed in simply 96 regular-season video games, plus two stints within the AFL. The unique fracture price him the rest of 2022. He required surgical procedure in that winter after he re-fractured it, then suffered one other fracture in that foot in April 2024, then developed turf toe in his first sport again from that damage. He strained his hamstring in late August and missed one other month.
On the plus facet, he’s hit very nicely when he’s been in a position to play. He destroyed A-ball pitching, hit .271/.353/.436 in 36 video games in Double A throughout two years, and went 7-for-23 with two homers in Triple A this 12 months, adopted by his second straight 12 months of wonderful manufacturing within the AFL.
As for the swing, he opens his hips very early after which nearly drags the bat via the zone, with a swing that appears like he’s making an attempt to scoop the ball and pull it out to proper. Consequently, he doesn’t hit something on the outer third for any energy in any respect, and in a small pattern thus far lefties have actually crushed him, particularly with breaking stuff. He’s going to must make some changes to get him on time to the zone extra constantly, and I feel major-league pitchers are going to assault that entrance hip with velocity up and in, which he can solely hit on the bottom, after which go gentle away to take advantage of the swing. No person has actually achieved that successfully thus far in his profession, nevertheless, so perhaps he’s simply ok to work round them and use his excessive contact expertise to pressure pitchers to pitch to his strengths — Dustin Pedroia did one thing comparable, and he had a really unorthodox swing as nicely. DeLauter’s additionally a 55 runner and is perhaps a plus defender in a nook, though I feel his propensity to get harm in all probability makes centerfield a non-starter.
Mauricio missed all of 2024 after tearing his ACL whereas enjoying winter ball, then had a minor setback in his rehab which may delay his return additional, though proper now he’s anticipated to be prepared for the beginning of the common season. Previous to the damage, he was the Mets’ high prospect, with lightning in his wrists that produces grade-70 energy, peaking at 117 mph in his temporary major-league debut. He’s simply approach too aggressive on the plate, chasing offspeed stuff out of the zone at a fee that’s not going to be sustainable for a major-league common — which is why the lack of a year-plus of plate appearances was so damaging for him, as he must work on ball/strike and pitch recognition, and the easiest way to try this is by enjoying. I’ve stated earlier than he jogs my memory a ton of Alfonso Soriano, who had equally electrical wrists, by no means discovered shortstop, and wasn’t something near “patient” on the plate, however improved his strategy sufficient to hit 412 homers and play 16 years within the majors. That’s a best-case situation for Mauricio, and doubtless extra unlikely after the damage. We’ll must see the place he’s on his return, what he’s swinging (or not swinging) at, and the way he strikes within the area.
That is the, uh, get off the pot 12 months for Johnson, as it’s for a number of of his classmates from the 2022 draft (Druw Jones, Cam Collier). He’s coming into his age-21 season and nonetheless hasn’t proven the plus hit instrument everybody appeared to assume he had as an novice. Johnson didn’t publish a .250 batting common for the second 12 months in a row and hit for even much less energy in 2024 than he had in 2023, once more drawing a ton of walks whereas hitting too many groundballs and pop-ups. Johnson has glorious bat velocity and clearly is aware of the strike zone, and he confirmed actual progress throughout the season because the Pirates labored with him on his swing selections to get him to do extra harm on pitches on the internal half. He additionally moved additional again within the field, and because of these changes, he reduce down on his whiff and chase charges after the All-Star break and pulled the ball extra typically. Sadly, none of it translated into extra hits or extra energy. A .237/.367/.386 season line isn’t going to make him greater than an additional man within the majors. He has too good of a swing and an excessive amount of plate self-discipline to not hit at the least within the excessive .200s.
Meyer was the No. 10 decide within the 2023 draft, far and away the most effective highschool pitching prospect in that draft class, however he confirmed up for his first spring coaching behind his friends, along with his fastball velocity down a number of ticks after his private offseason program. Whereas his velocity did ultimately enhance, it was a harbinger of a primary 12 months that was a combined bag, to place it mildly. He’d touched triple digits in highschool with excessive spin charges on his fastball and two breaking balls, however in his first outing within the common season final 12 months he was simply 90-93, constructing as much as 93-97 in his last outing in Low A on Might 25. He’s received a really lengthy arm swing and his arm is usually a little late, regardless of which he nonetheless exhibits a plus slider that generated a 41 p.c whiff fee in Low A. His changeup continued to enhance and it’s plus when he lands it, with too many ending out of the strike zone proper now, whereas his curveball backed up and wasn’t the identical plus weapon it was for him in highschool. His management total was nowhere close to the place it ought to be, as he walked 16.3 p.c of batters he confronted in Low A and 17.9 p.c in Excessive A, approaching a stage the place it’s truthful to query if he’ll ever have the management to be a major-league starter. Meyer confirmed No. 1 starter stuff in highschool and he flashed a few of it final 12 months, however this wasn’t the identical man the Marlins drafted. I’m not giving up on him as a future above-average starter, to be clear, because the stuff is simply too good, however am acknowledging that his odds of ending up a reliever went up whilst he received via his age-19 season with out damage.
Hamm was Detroit’s fifth-round decide in 2023 after his first full 12 months as a starter for Center Tennessee State. He had an unusually excessive arm slot — almost excessive — for a beginning pitcher however an actual weapon in his curveball. He went to Excessive A final 12 months and reduce his stroll fee from 10.4 p.c in 2023 earlier than the draft to 7.8 p.c within the minors this previous season, putting out 30.6 p.c of batters with a full assortment of pitches. His curveball continues to be plus, his slider is at the least solid-average, and his straight changeup is surprisingly efficient — it’s exhausting to throw a changeup from that prime of a slot, however he does it, and hitters don’t particularly take care of it. He’s working way more to his glove facet now than he did in school, utilizing the fastball and slider that approach, for the reason that slider is his solely pitch with a lot horizontal motion, and he had no platoon break up in any respect in Excessive A final 12 months. The knock on Hamm is that he didn’t maintain his velocity all season, and he received hit a bit of extra because the fastball velo declined over the course of the summer time. It was his first full professional season, and he solely spent one spring as a full-time starter in school, so this was probably the most he’d ever pitched with out some form of break or layoff, which is the one motive I’m keen to chop him some slack on the velo dip. If that occurs once more, he’s in all probability a reliever, and has the weapons to be a superb one. His spot on the highest 100 is a wager that he’ll keep a starter with extra expertise and maybe a bit of work with the Tigers’ energy and conditioning group, ending up a strong No. 3 or extra. If that doesn’t work, he may very well be a bulk reliever given what number of efficient offspeed pitches he has, simply working lower than a starter to attempt to maintain his velocity up.
Jones’ second full 12 months within the minors went quite a bit higher than his first. For one factor, he stayed wholesome all 12 months, enjoying 109 video games after enjoying simply 41 (together with rehab video games) the 12 months earlier than. For an additional, he began to supply for the primary time in professional ball, hitting .275/.409/.405, tying for twelfth in the entire minors with 85 walks — identical as his draft classmate Termarr Johnson. It’s not all excellent news, as he nonetheless hit the ball on the bottom approach too typically (57.2 p.c of the time) for a man with plus uncooked energy, and his protection in middle was extra typically grade 60 than 70 — or grade 80, like his father’s.
He’s proven extra in-game energy the opposite approach than to his pull facet, and doesn’t actually attempt to activate stuff on the internal third but. His ball/strike recognition turned out to be way more superior than anticipated, and the truth that he got here again in addition to he did from a 2023 season that was ruined by a number of accidents and a few seen uncertainty on the plate is a optimistic signal. He may nonetheless find yourself simply an additional outfielder however I feel it’s too quickly to imagine that, given the facility and plus protection he confirmed as an novice.
The Jays’ 2024 first-round decide on the No. 20 decide was ranked thirteenth alone board, and the No. 3 starter within the class (once more, my rankings), coming off a dominant 12 months for East Carolina the place he struck out 145 in 93 innings (40.3 p.c) and posted a 2.03 ERA — and didn’t flip 21 till two weeks after the draft. He has one of many shortest arm actions I’ve ever seen on a prospect of his caliber, however the stuff that comes out is plain, as he has a 91-96 mph four-seamer and a plus splitter with large backside and even some lateral motion, together with a good slider within the mid-80s he makes use of principally versus right-handers. His brief arm stroke and the form of his stuff make him way more of a north-south pitcher and I feel he’ll have to seek out one thing to work a bit of extra east-west, simply to maintain hitters trustworthy on each side of the zone. The supply does fear me, as a result of it’s uncommon, and brief arm actions like this typically find yourself within the bullpen. He’s been wholesome the final two years as a starter for ECU, nevertheless, and I wouldn’t change something given how good the stuff is. I’d transfer him as rapidly as doable, as you’re not ready for any projection on the present pitches, and see a possible No. 3 starter within the close to future.
Cespedes’ stateside debut was restricted to 25 video games and 105 PA earlier than he broke a hamate bone, however he flashed a few of why he earned a $1.4 million bonus in January 2023. He’s small however sturdy, with a robust swing for somebody his measurement that backs up the numbers he’s produced thus far, with 11 homers in 71 profession video games between the DSL and Florida Advanced League. He hit .319/.400/.615 in that temporary stint in Florida final 12 months, putting out simply 19 occasions within the 105 PA, exhibiting sturdy command of the strike zone already. He’s not going to stay at shortstop, nevertheless, and may find yourself at third base slightly than second given his body and the way his physique appears now at age 19. He’ll transfer to Low A this 12 months and should take a while to get all his hand energy again; past that, he appears like a hitter who may transfer rapidly via the low minors as a result of he’s stronger and extra polished than the standard teenaged hitter, with the upside of an above-average common at third with fringy protection however a robust all-around offensive sport.
Lombard was the Yankees’ first-round decide in 2023 out of a South Florida highschool, and he spent all of 2024 in full-season ball when he would beforehand have spent it on the now-defunct short-season stage — one more instance of a participant harm by the contraction of the minors. His total line of .231/.338/.334 is unimpressive, however underneath the hood there’s fairly a bit to love. Lombard injured his hamstring in April, spending two weeks on the injured checklist however apparently battling it on and off all year long even after he returned. He did make some exhausting contact that didn’t present up in his stat line, topping out at 110 mph, and there may be nonetheless a ton of projection on his 6-2 (or taller) body to come back into extra bat velocity and ultimately in-game energy. He simply wasn’t prepared for full-season ball; he may decide up offspeed stuff fairly nicely however had a tough time catching as much as plus fastballs and ended up behind within the rely too typically. When wholesome, he’s a plus runner, which could slide down in the direction of 55 velocity as he will get larger. He’s additionally more likely to transfer off shortstop however find yourself a plus defender at third or second, in all probability third given his above-average arm and eventual measurement. There’s lots of maybes right here, and the floor numbers aren’t spectacular; simply keep in mind that, like lots of youngsters, he didn’t belong in regardless of the heck Low A is at this level, and that he received on base in addition to he did, flashing some very exhausting contact for a teen, is definitely very promising.
Mack was the No. 31 decide within the 2021 draft, then missed most of 2022 with accidents and had a disappointing 2023 in Excessive A, hitting .218/.295/.287, though he did keep wholesome sufficient to get 503 plate appearances. He returned to Excessive-A Beloit to begin 2024 and took off, hitting so nicely in 13 video games that the Marlins very correctly bumped him as much as Double A, the place he hit .241/.322/.456 with 22 homers in 112 video games and a 25.7 p.c strikeout fee as a 21-year-old. Solely 4 minor-league catchers hit extra homers than Mack did final 12 months; two are on this checklist, one can’t actually catch, and the final is 33 years outdated. It’s all-fields energy — 9 of his 24 complete homers on the season have been to left or centerfield. He’s improved behind the plate to turn into an above-average receiver and perhaps even a plus framer, whereas he’s all the time had a plus arm and threw out 34 p.c of runners final 12 months. He nonetheless has to work on some pitch recognition, as he was approach higher towards fastballs and his inexperience towards pitchers who may actually spot a slider or drop a changeup away confirmed. The bar to be an on a regular basis catcher within the majors is so low, nevertheless, that even when Mack finally ends up a .290 OBP man with 20 homers and 55 protection, he’d be an excellent common, and that’s nicely inside his attain.
Stewart moved as much as Excessive A final 12 months and hit .279/.391/454 in 80 video games for Dayton as a 20-year-old earlier than struggling an “off-field” damage, tearing a tendon in his wrist. It required surgical procedure and ended his season. He continues to indicate a really superior strategy, recognizing all pitch sorts and commanding the strike zone, and has tweaked his swing since he first signed to hit way more line drives and fewer groundballs. He had a 27.8 p.c line-drive fee in 2024, which might have ranked third within the Midwest League if he’d certified, and he makes exhausting contact, simply with out sufficient loft or large exit velocities to place the ball within the seats. It’s a brief path to the ball with some raise to it, however with extra doubles energy that places lots of line drives into the gaps. I don’t assume he’s received the projection left to finish up a 20-homer man, however he has a fame as each a tough employee and a man who likes to work out, so I wouldn’t say it’s inconceivable. He’s a fringy defender at third and performed some second as nicely in 2024, in all probability a forty five defender at both spot, with first base the default possibility if he can’t keep elsewhere on the grime. The worst-case situation is he’s a 10-homer first baseman with above-average OBPs, a daily on some groups however not all; the best-case one is the place he sticks at third, will get stronger for 20+ homers, and has OBPs near .400 … which might in all probability make him an MVP candidate, now that I spell it out.
(High picture illustration by Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photographs from left to proper — Jackson Jobe, Samuel Basallo, Roman Anthony, Sebastian Walcott: Tim Warner, Christopher Pasatieri / Getty Photographs; Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins / Getty Photographs; Chris Bernacchi / Diamond Photographs through Getty Photographs)
