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Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: The Brewers signed Anderson for $60,000 in January 2024, and he has quickly vaulted up prospect lists, going from an under-the-radar signing to become one of Milwaukee’s more exciting hitters in the lower levels.
Scouting Report: Anderson’s feel for hitting and his offensive track record stood out coming into the Dominican Summer League season. Now his power has trended up significantly, with Anderson showing one of the better power strokes in the league. Though he can sometimes be hurt by an aggressive approach, he has good hand-eye coordination, feel for the barrel and bat speed. That combination allows him to drive the ball with impressive impact for his age and gives a chance for above-average raw power. He’s a center fielder now, but he’s not a burner runner. He could end up in right field where he has a plus arm.
The Future: Anderson is several years away, but he has been one of the bigger up-arrow prospects for the Brewers since he joined the organization at the start of 2024.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50 | Power: 55 | Speed: 50 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: A few weeks before he turned 19 in 2022, Galindez signed with the Brewers out of Venezuela for $10,000.. He posted a 6.45 ERA in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League that year and repeated the league in 2023, but took a step forward in 2024 with Low-A Carolina.
Scouting Report: Galindez has a riding fastball that sits at 92-95 mph and can touch 97, attacking hitters with it up in the zone. Galindez will throw his fastball about a third of the time, relying heavily on his breaking stuff for more than half of his pitch usage. His primary breaking ball is an average slider in the low-80s that he spins well in the 2,500-2,700 rpm range and snaps off with short, late break. His curveball has bigger break at 73-76 mph with slurvy action and flashes average, as well. He doesn’t throw his changeup much, but it has been an effective pitch when he does. Galindez has below-average control with more feel for landing his breaking stuff for strikes than he does with his fastball, so he will need to improve his fastball command.
The Future: There’s enough stuff to give Galindez a chance to develop into a back-end starter or reliever if he can make improvements with his strikes.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Herrera signed out of Venezuela with the Brewers on his 16th birthday in 2019 for $10,000. He didn’t do much to distinguish himself as a prospect in his first couple of seasons pitching in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, but his stuff ticked up in 2024 to make him a more intriguing arm in the lower levels.
Scouting Report: Herrera had a lankier 6-foot-3 frame when he signed, but he has filled out now with a thicker lower half. That strength has added more power behind his stuff, to where he’s now sitting 92-95 mph and can touch 98. His go-to pitch is an above-average slider, which he can manipulate anywhere from the lower to upper-80s. It has two-plane depth, making it a high swing-and-miss pitch against both righties and lefties. Herrera does have a changeup, but it’s a well below-average pitch he rarely throws. A lack of strikes hurt Herrera in the past, but he has shown better control in 2024.
The Future: While Herrera should continue to get the opportunity to develop as a starter, his fastball/slider mix could play well in a relief role, with the potential for both pitches to play up in shorter bursts.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Baez had a low profile as an amateur player in the Dominican Republic when he signed with the Brewers at 16 for $10,000 on Jan. 15, 2022. After a decent pro debut that year in the Dominican Summer League, Baez in 2023 hit .370/.395/.557 to finish runner-up for the batting title in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, then drew a promotion to Low-A Carolina at the end of August.
Scouting Report: At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Baez has a strong, stocky build with a thick lower half. He’s an aggressive hitter who loads with a big leg kick and his swing has some length, yet he consistently puts the ball in play at a high clip, striking out in just 11% of his plate appearances in 2023. Baez also walked just 4% of the time, as he’s a free-swinger who will need to develop a more selective approach. Baez does make frequent contact though and shows flashes of average raw power that he should be able to tap into more if he’s able to add more loft to his stroke and make better swing decisions. Baez spent time at shortstop and third base but he’s a below-average runner with limited range who projects best at third or second base.
The Future: Baez started to break through in 2023 and could make a bigger name for himself in 2024 if his offensive success continues in Low-A Carolina.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Areinamo’s lack of size and tools worked against him during the tryout process in Venezuela, but the Brewers were drawn to his ability to hit and high baseball IQ. Areinamo signed for $150,000 in 2021 and reached Low-A Carolina as an 18-year-old at the end of the 2022 season. He returned there for 2023 and finished runner-up for the Carolina League batting title.
Scouting Report: Areinamo has an unorthodox bat waggle. He sets his hands at his back shoulder, drops them as he begins his leg kick, then snaps his wrists down so his barrel gets near parallel to the ground before snapping them back up just before the pitcher’s release. There’s a lot of noise involved, but Areinamo has good bat-to-ball skills and regularly squares up all types of pitches with little swing-and-miss in the zone. He covers the inner third of the plate well, smacking line drives everywhere with an all-fields approach. Areinamo will need to develop a more selective approach, as he is prone to chasing outside the zone. His power is well below-average, but after just 14 extra-base hits the first four months of the season, he hit 14 doubles in August alone. A below-average runner with an average arm, Areinamo is an instinctive fielder and a potential a potential above-average defender at second base, where he gets most of his work, with time at third base and some at shortstop as well.
The Future: If Areinamo can get stronger and develop more extra-base impact, he could be a significant riser in the system, though he could ultimately fit best in a utility role. He’s ready for High-A Wisconsin.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 40 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The Brewers signed Rodriguez out of Mexico when he was 16 a couple months before the start of the 2022 Dominican Summer League season, giving him $40,000. One of the youngest players in that signing class, Rodriguez has proven exceptionally polished for his age, moving quickly due more to his pitchability than his raw stuff.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez has a simple, efficient and repeatable delivery with compact arm stroke. That helps him fill the strike zone and avoid walks with the potential for plus-plus control. Rodriguez won’t throw a fastball above 91 mph, sitting in the upper-80s, but it’s a high-spin pitch (2,600-2,700 rpm) with good carry. He mixes in a 76-80 mph slider with tight rotation that could become an average pitch. His changeup has been effective against Low-A hitters because he keeps it down, but it’s a below-average pitch that comes in too firm. Rodriguez mixes in a short, low-80s cutter, as well.
The Future: Unless Rodriguez can generate more power behind his fastball, that lack of velocity will get tested against upper-level hitters. But his ability to pour strikes and keep hitters off balance by mixing his pitches will give him an opportunity to keep developing as a starter, likely in the back of a rotation if everything clicks.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 70 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: For the third time in four years, the Brewers’ top international signing came from Venezuela. Following Jackson Chourio in 2021 and Luis Lara in 2022, the Brewers made Quintana the centerpiece of their class when the international signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2024.
Scouting Report: Quintana was one of the most polished hitters in Latin America for 2024. He’s a switch-hitter with a fluid, easy stroke from both sides of the plate who recognizes pitches well, has good plate discipline and maneuvers the barrel well to make frequent contact. Quintana is especially advanced from the left side and has one of the better offensive track records among players eligible to sign in 2024. He makes hard contact from gap to gap with a chance for average or better power given the strength projection remaining in his 6-foot-2 frame. Quintana is a reliable defender at shortstop on the balls he gets to and should get a chance to develop at the position, though he’s a fringe-average runner and looks like he could eventually outgrow the position, with an average arm that would fit at third base.
The Future: Quintana will make his pro debut this year in the Dominican Summer League and should be one of the league’s top prospects.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The nJCAA Division I pitcher of the year as a freshman for national champion McLennan (Texas), Henderson led the nation in strikeouts and signed for $495,000 that year as a fourth-round pick. In spring training in 2022, an avulsion fracture in his throwing elbow required surgery and sidelined him until August. He pitched all of 2023 at Low-A, where he struck out 35% of batters.
Scouting Report: Henderson throws strikes at a high clip with his four-seam fastball, which sits at 89-92 mph and touches 94. He lacks big velocity, but his fastball rides up in the zone to help him miss bats when he elevates. Henderson’s best pitch is his 78-81 mph changeup, which he leans on heavily against both lefties and righties. It’s a plus changeup that typically has 11-12 mph of separation off his fastball and excellent fade, enabling him to pile up whiffs. Henderson throws his fastball/changeup mix more than 90% of the time. He sprinkles in an occasional slider, but it’s a distant third pitch.
The Future: Henderson carved Low-A hitters with his fastball/changeup attack, but he will likely need a better breaking ball to continue his success in the upper levels. If he’s able to do that, there’s a chance for him to develop into a back-end starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: In college, Yoho got sparse playing time in 2019 and 2020 at Houston, then transferred to Indiana and didn’t pitch until 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and a knee injury. He threw well in relief for the Hoosiers as a 23-year-old in 2023. The Brewers drafted him in the eighth round that year, and he has already moved quickly through the system.
Scouting Report: Yoho isn’t a typical flamethrowing reliever who blasts high-octane fastballs by hitters in short bursts. His fastball has below-average velocity at 91-94 mph, though it does have lively armside run from his low slot. What allows him to pile up strikeouts is one of the best changeups in the minors. It’s a plus-plus pitch that maintains the same arm speed as his fastball but comes off 13-14 mph slower. His changeup parachutes at the plate with fade and late tumble, making it a devastating pitch for swing-and-miss against both lefties and righties. Yoho throws his changeup as often as he throws his fastball, mixing in an average curveball and sprinkling an occasional cutter. He doesn’t have as much command on those pitches, but he has been a high-level strike-thrower with his fastball and changeup.
The Future: Yoho has flown under the radar, but his elite changeup gives him a chance to develop into a high-leverage reliever. He should make his major league debut by 2025.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 70 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Burke is a physical 6-foot-3, 236-pound first baseman with some of the most impressive raw power in the country. He homered 14 times as a freshman with Tennessee despite a 30% strikeout rate but cut that mark significantly over his next two seasons. He finished his career as a .331/.422/.654 hitter in the middle of a consistently strong Tennessee lineup.
Scouting Report: For a large, slugging lefthanded hitter with a history of strikeout questions, Burke actually makes plenty of contact. He steadily improved his bat-to-ball skills versus secondary pitches and as a junior posted a strong 84% overall contact rate. He is an overly aggressive hitter who will expand the zone too much but has done enough damage with a fast and powerful uppercut swing to make it work in the Southeastern Conference. Burke has 70-grade raw power and enough strength to homer to all fields. He has some of the best top-end exit velocity in the class, but he’s mostly a pull hitter who figures to be a power-over-hit player in pro ball.
The Future: He’ll need to hit for plenty of impact because he’s a well below-average runner who will be limited to first base and offer little defensive value.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Levonas is an athletic New Jersey high school righthander with long limbs, a 6-foot-1, 170-pound frame and a fast, whippy arm that gives him exciting future projection. During the 2023 summer, he pitched with plenty of effort, including an aggressive head whack and fall-off to the first base side of the mound. Since then he has done a nice job adding strength and removing some of the violence in his delivery.
Scouting Report: Levonas throws a fastball in the 90-95 mph range and was up to 97 this spring and could easily touch triple digits in the future as he adds more mass to his still lean frame. In addition to a plus fastball, Levonas has a trio of quality secondary pitches, including a high-spin slider in the low 80s and a 12-to-6 hammer curveball that also features plenty of spin and biting action. Both the breaking pitches could be above-average or plus, and Levonas will also mix in a firm upper-80s changeup that will flash significant armside fading life and looks like a quality offering against lefties.
The Future: Levonas carries reliever risk thanks to his scattered control and the effort still in his delivery, but he has huge upside.
Scouting Grades:Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Meccage is a 6-foot-4, 210-pound righthander who gained prominence after dominating his prep competition in New Jersey during his 2023 spring season. He didn’t quite dominate in the same fashion that summer on the showcase circuit but continued to show excellent tools with a great pitcher’s frame, arm speed, a fastball tracking in the right direction and a pair of high-spin breaking pitches.
Scouting Report: This spring, Meccage was up to 96 mph and was typically in the low-to-mid 90s with a high-spin heater. He throws a pair of breaking pitches that both have above-average potential and big spin rates north of 2,800 rpm. The first is a low-80s slider which has consistent two-plane break and late, biting action and the second is a slower curveball in the upper 70s with more 11-to-5 shape and downer action. The velocity of his slider might make it the better breaking ball in the long run, though both pitches stand out for their consistent biting action. Meccage will also mix in a mid-to-upper-80s changeup at times but it’s a distant fourth offering for now.
The Future: Meccage is a solid athlete on the mound with a loose arm and three-quarters slot. His father Jeremiah pitched for Iowa and was drafted by the Dodgers in 1998.
Scouting Grades:Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: An athletic and lean lefthanded hitter and outfielder, Payne has table-setting, top-of-the-lineup tools, led by his double-plus speed. He’s young for the class, doesn’t turn 18 until a month after the draft and has a ton of physical projection in a 6-foot-1, 180-pound frame.
Scouting Report: Payne has impressive pure bat-to-ball skills, but over the 2023 high school showcase circuit he employed a swing with a significant step-in-the-bucket action. His lower half often was disconnected and leaked out to his pull side with some back-foot drift. Payne’s swing looked better this spring, with better direction and balance in his lower half—and he pushed further up draft boards because of those developments. Still, he still might be more of a singles and doubles hitter than a 20-homer threat. He gets out of the box quickly with jailbreak run times that will often lead to sub 3.9-second home-to-first times.
The Future: Payne is a 70-grade straight-line runner who should be able to handle center field and play above-average defense with more refinement. Payne’s arm is not a weapon, but it should be perfectly serviceable in the middle of the outfield.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 45. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Rodriguez could be another junior college pitching success story for the Brewers, who signed him for $250,000 as a sixth-round pick from Florida Southwestern State JC in 2021. Rodriguez was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year in 2022 and shared the honor with lefthander Robert Gasser again in 2023, when he led the Double-A Southern League with a 2.77 ERA.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez continues to surprise and has now proven successful at the upper levels. He lacks a big fastball or a wipeout secondary pitch but continually finds a way to mix and match his arsenal. Rodriguez has good control of a fastball that sits at 90-94 mph and can scrape 95 and mixes four- and two-seamers. His 83-85 changeup is his best pitch, an above-average offering with 17 inches of horizontal run to fade away from lefties. It’s the pitch that gets the highest rate of swing-and-miss and a key reason why his OPS allowed was near equal against lefties (.566) and righties (.563) in 2023. His 78-82 mph slider is a fringe-average pitch that flashes better at times, with a low-to-mid-70s curveball that he will sprinkle in occasionally when he’s ahead in the count and a mid-80s cutter that gives him six pitches to attack hitters. With a stocky, strong build, Rodriguez has been a solid strike-thrower, though his success comes more from his ability to mix his stuff and location rather than precise command.
The Future: There are still scouts who think Rodriguez could end up in a relief role, but he now looks more likely to be able to stick as a starter, most likely toward the back of the rotation, though he could continue to surprise. Rodriguez most likely opens 2024 in Triple-A, but if his success there continues, he should be in the mix for starts in Milwaukee when a need arises.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: One of Milwaukee’s three big international signings from January 2024, Peña landed an $800,000 bonus. He made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2024.
Scouting Report: Peña has a strong, compact build and explosiveness to his game. He’s an aggressive hitter, but he has good hand-eye coordination and doesn’t miss much when he’s swinging at strikes. A good fastball hitter with a flatter swing path, Peña has the strength and bat speed to make consistent hard contact and the potential to develop plus raw power. He also has 70 speed. He’s more of a power runner than having the long, gliding strides of a sprinter, but he has quickly proven a high stolen base threat. Peña has the athleticism and plus arm for shortstop, though he will have to clean up some things with his defensive actions to stick there, otherwise he could slide to third base.
Track Record: Peña is off to a strong start in the DSL and has quickly made himself into one of the organization’s more promising prospects beneath the full-season leagues.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Speed: 70 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: As a skinny 5-foot-6 outfielder, Lara didn’t get a ton of attention early in the scouting process in Venezuela. The Brewers were drawn to his mix of quick-twitch athleticism, hitting ability and defense at a premium position, signing him for $1.1 million when the international signing period opened on Jan. 15, 2022. Lara made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that year and was so advanced that the Brewers pushed him in 2023 to Low-A Carolina as an 18-year-old before another an August promotion to High-A Wisconsin.
Scouting Report: Lara is a small, athletic switch-hitter with an accurate barrel and solid grasp of the strike zone who struck out in just 15% of his plate appearances in 2023. He starts his swing with his barrel tipped toward the pitcher but is able to keep his hands direct to the ball with good balance and the bat control to make consistent contact against fastballs and breaking stuff. He’s comfortable letting the ball travel deep into the hitting zone, using the whole field and shooting line drives the opposite way. Lara’s future power is a question mark. He’s small and has just two home runs in 145 career games, so he might never have more than below-average power. More bullish evaluators can point to his youth, high upper-end exit velocities--up to 110 mph--and potential to develop more impact once he learns which pitches to turn on with pull power as reasons to believe there’s more impact coming. He draws strong reviews for his defense in center field, where he’s a potential above-average defender with plus speed, a quick first step, athletic movements and an above-average arm.
The Future: Lara’s hitting ability is polished for his age, but the key will be to prove he can hit for more power. He will again be one of the youngest players in the league when he opens 2024 in Wisconsin.
Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 50/Very High
Track Record: Entering his senior season in 2023, Knoth had encouraging projection indicators, with the buzz around him increasing during the spring as his stuff took another leap forward at his Long Island high school. A 19-strikeout perfect game only enhanced his profile for scouts. One of the youngest pitchers in the 2023 class, Knoth was 17 on draft day when the Brewers selected him in the supplemental first round at no. 33 overall and signed him for $2 million.
Scouting Report: Knoth is an athletic pitcher with sound arm action and an efficient delivery that he repeats well, helping him throw consistent strikes with his fastball. His velocity increased during the 2023 season and now sits at 92-96 mph and peaks at 98. It’s a strong fastball, but the separator for Knoth is his ability to spin a pair of tight breaking pitches that both eclipse 3,000 rpm. His low-to-mid-80s slider is a potential plus-plus pitch. He snaps it off with sharp break and two-plane depth to miss bats. He throws his curveball with power at 79-82 mph, and while it can blend together with his slider at times, it’s another pitch that flashes plus with good depth. Some scouts prefer his curve to his slider. Knoth’s changeup has solid fade, though it comes in firm and he doesn’t use it much yet, as is the case with most high school power pitchers.
The Future: Knoth is still several years away from being a major league contributor, but he has the potential to develop into a high-end starter who can rack up whiffs with his breaking stuff. He will make his pro debut in 2024, likely with Low-A Carolina. Knoth will be just 18 all season, and his development will take time.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Wilken was one of the most dangerous sluggers in college baseball. He mashed 31 home runs in 66 games for Wake Forest in 2023, when he hit .345/.506/.807 while setting the school’s single-season record for home runs and walks (69). Wilken’s 71 career home runs are also the most in school history and tied for the Atlantic Coast Conference career record. The Brewers drafted him with their first-round pick at 18th overall and signed him for $3.15 million. He moved quickly upon signing, finishing 2023 at Double-A Biloxi.
Scouting Report: Power is Wilken’s calling card. He has quiet hands, a simple lower-half load and the strength in his 6-foot-4 frame to drive the ball with plus-plus raw power. He’s generally a pull-oriented hitter, but he has the juice to go deep to any part of the park. From 2022 to 2023 at Wake Forest, Wilken cut his strikeout rate from 24% to 18% while increasing his walk rate from 12% to 21%. That helped answer questions scouts had about his pure hitting ability, though he will likely always have a power-over-hit offensive profile with some swing-and-miss to his game. A well below-average runner, Wilken showed better lateral agility than expected at third base after signing. He has a plus-plus arm, though his hands and footwork might restrict him from being better than a fringe-average defender at third base, with a chance he outgrows the position and moves to first base.
The Future: If everything clicks, Wilken has the chance to be a 30-plus home run hitter who draws a lot of walks in the middle of a lineup, though he will have to prove he can keep his contact rate high enough against better pitchers and continue developing defensively to stick at third base. He’s likely ticketed for Double-A to open 2024.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 70 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 70 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: In high school, Adams was a Michigan State commit who was not a prominent prospect at national events. After his senior season, he hit .404/.478/.737 in 68 plate appearances in the summer collegiate Prospect League, which enhanced his draft stock. The Brewers signed him for $282,500 as a 12th-round pick in 2022, and after a strong pro debut that summer in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Adams followed with a solid campaign with Low-A Carolina in 2023.
Scouting Report: Adams is a split camp player with an unorthodox look. He’s a strong, physical player who can drive the ball with impact. He has above-average raw power with exit velocities up to 112 mph, he’s a patient hitter who has piled up walks and doesn’t have much swing-and-miss on pitches in the strike zone. He does it with an extremely funky swing that starts with a big, hanging leg kick and a significant hitch, starting his hands up by his ear, dropping them to his waist, then raising them back up to his shoulder. Adams is a good fastball hitter who can punish mistakes, but there’s length to his swing and a lack of adjustability that will get tested against better pitching. An average runner, Adams typically makes the routine plays at third base with an average arm from a lower slot, but his heavy feet and limited range mean he’s probably ticketed for an outfield corner or first base.
The Future: The upper levels of the minors will be the big jump for Adams to prove that his offensive skill set will translate against more advanced competition. He could get there in 2024 after likely opening in High-A Wisconsin.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Rodriguez was one of the most advanced hitters in the Dominican Republic for 2023, when the Brewers made him their highest-paid prospect of the class with a $1.5 million bonus. Rodriguez backed up the Brewers’ belief in him as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League, where he showed a promising mix of bat control, plate discipline and power.
Scouting Report: Rodriguez stands out for his maturity at the plate. He’s a selective hitter who recognizes spin and has the hand-eye coordination that leads to a low swing-and-miss rate. He has fast bat speed from the left side and showed flashes of what should be above-average raw power. His flatter bat path means he doesn’t fully tap into that power yet, but he can hit deep home runs and should have more power coming as he gets stronger and learns how to turn on pitches for loft with more frequency. Rodriguez has the athleticism and tick above-average speed to handle center field in the lower levels, though most likely will shift to a corner as he moves up. He has an average arm that could fit in either outfield corner.
The Future: While the Brewers have built a strong group of homegrown Venezuelan prospects, Rodriguez is one of the best Dominican prospects to come through the system in recent years. He’s talented enough that he could follow the path of Milwaukee’s top signings from their last two classes--outfielders Jackson Chourio and Luis Lara--by skipping the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and instead playing in Low-A Carolina in 2024.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: The Brewers had three major signings when the international signing period opened in January 2024, one of them being Made for $950,000. He made his pro debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Report: Made is an athletic, switch-hitting shortstop with an impressive power stroke for his age, especially from the right side. Made generates good bat speed, drives the ball with backspin and makes consistent hard contact, flashing above-average raw power with a chance to grow into a 25-plus home run threat. Some scouts who saw Made as an amateur thought he would have a power-over-hit profile as he gets closer to the big leagues, but early on he has shown solid contact skills and a good sense of the strike zone. Made is a plus runner with a plus arm that could still tick up to become a plus-plus tool, though he will need to improve his defense to stay at shortstop. If he does outgrow the position, he could end up at third base or use his speed in center field.
The Future: Made is far from the big leagues, so while there is a lot of risk, the early returns at the plate have been promising.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Speed: 60 | Fielding: 45 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Gasser’s strong 2021 season at Houston, when he showed improved stuff and performance, bolstered his draft stock and led the Padres to take him that year in the second round. During Gasser’s first full season in 2022, the Brewers acquired him in the trade deadline deal that sent reliever Josh Hader to San Diego. In the first two months of 2023, Gasser had trouble with strikes, posting a 4.59 ERA in 49 innings with an 11.7% walk rate and 60% strike rate, but he turned things around after that, posting a 3.34 ERA in 86.1 innings, slicing his walk rate nearly in half to 6.5%, with 67% strikes the rest of the season. He led all Triple-A pitchers with 166 strikeouts.
Scouting Report: With a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and will occasionally tickle 95, Gasser doesn’t overpower hitters. Instead he relies on his pitchability and willingness to liberally mix in all of his pitches to keep hitters guessing. He throws both a four-seamer and a two-seam fastball, with his two-seamer producing lively armside run with 16 inches of horizontal break from a low release height. He added an average cutter to his mix as well in the upper-80s that he uses more against righties. Gasser uses those fastballs and his cutter in about a 50-50 mix with his slider and changeup. His low-80s slider is his best pitch, with deep lateral movement at 16-18 inches of horizontal break to run away from lefties or to throw to the back foot of a righty. Gasser’s changeup has a lot of fade away from lefties, but it’s an upper-80s pitch that doesn’t have much separation from his fastball.
The Future: After spending all of 2023 in Triple-A, Gasser is ready for a rotation spot in Milwaukee. He’s likely a back-end starter, though some scouts see enough upside for more.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: As a high school underclassman, Letson generated little attention and wasn’t heavily recruited before he committed to Purdue. After pitching in the upper 80s and touching 90 mph in 2022, Letson during his senior year in 2023 was pitching more regularly into the low 90s and touching 93 mph. The brewers drafted him in the 11th round that year and signed him for an above-slot bonus of $482,600.
Scouting Report: Letson doesn’t have the power or polish of some of the other high school pitchers drafted in 2023, but he has an array of promising projection indicators. He has good arm speed and a classic projectable build, a skinny 6-foot-4 frame with tons of space to fill out, which should help him add velocity to a fastball with good armside run. His 78-82 mph slider slider has above-average potential, getting slurvy at times but with late break and two-plane depth when it’s at its best. Letson’s changeup is less refined, but it has a ton of fade that could make it a bigger weapon for him with more reps. Letson is a good athlete, though he’s still growing into his coordination to throw consistent strikes.
The Future: Letson is a deeper projection arm with a lot of risk, but he has some of the best upside among the organization’s lower-level pitchers. He should pitch in Low-A Carolina in 2024.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Bitonti didn’t turn 18 until four months after the 2023 draft, making him extremely young for that year’s high school class. A third-round pick in 2023, Bitonti signed for an above-slot bonus of $1.75 million, then made his pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
Scouting Report: Bitonti immediately grabs attention for his size. He’s a physical 6-foot-4 infielder with big lefthanded power. He has the strength, leverage and bat speed to generate plus raw power now with a chance to grow into 70 raw power on the 20-80 scale. There is some length to Bitonti’s swing that leaves holes and creates a higher swing-and-miss rate. He has been able to keep the strikeouts manageable, but it will likely always be something he has to monitor in what projects as a power-over-hit offensive profile. While Bitonti’s size is more typical of a first baseman, he has surprisingly good body control on the left side of the infield. He played shortstop in high school and spent some time there in the ACL, though he spent more time at third base after signing. While his speed is limited, his defensive actions are sound and his arm is plus, so he could stick at third base. He has experience at first base as well and could be a plus defender if he had to move to the position.
The Future: As a teenager who has yet to get to a full-season league, Bitonti carries plenty of risk, but he has some of the biggest upside in the organization. He should spend 2024 in Low-A Carolina.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Pratt’s barrel accuracy and high baseball IQ stood out in high school, making him the no. 63 prospect for the 2023 draft. The Brewers drafted him in the sixth round, signed him for well above-slot at $1.35 million and Pratt went on to hit well in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in the summer. After the season, Pratt was the buzziest player at the organization’s instructional league, standing out in a system that’s relatively light on shortstops.
Scouting Report: A lanky 6-foot-4 righthanded hitter, Pratt showed a knack for putting the ball in play as an amateur that continued into his pro debut. He has a calm, relaxed swing, trusting his hands with a fluid path to the ball. Pratt has an accurate barrel with the ability to consistently square up both fastballs and offspeed stuff, showing solid strike-zone judgment for his age. Pratt has mainly been a singles hitter with gap power, and while the strength projection remaining in his frame suggests more over-the-fence juice should come, it’s likely going to be a hit-over-power profile. An average runner, Pratt doesn’t have the first-step explosion that some scouts prefer at shortstop, but he plays under control at shortstop with a good internal clock and a plus arm. He impressed defensively at shortstop in his pro debut, though as he fills out there’s a chance he could slide over to third base.
The Future: The early returns have arrows pointing up on Pratt, who could take a significant leap forward if he’s able to unlock more power. He’s likely ticketed for Low-A Carolina to open 2024.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Wichrowski pitched three seasons at Bryant, posting a 4.50 ERA in 50 innings as a junior in 2023 split between the bullpen and the starting rotation. He generated mild interest from many clubs in the 2023 draft, when the Brewers picked him in the 13th round and signed him for $100,000. By the time Wichrowski threw in spring training in 2024, he looked like a different pitcher, with more velocity.
Scouting Report: In college, Wichrowski topped at 96 mph, sitting in the low-90s. In 2024, he pitches at 94-97 mph and has reached 101 mph. A sharp, low-80s slider was his best pitch in college, and it’s now a plus pitch with more power and hard lateral bite to miss a lot of bats. He throws an average cutter in the upper-80s, typically as an early-count pitch, and an occasional changeup that lags behind the rest of his arsenal. Wichrowski had below-average fastball command in college, though he has been a solid strike-thrower to start his Brewers career.
The Future: Wichrowski has been one of the breakout pitching prospects of the 2024 season. While he still has to prove he can handle a starter’s workload, the stuff is there for him to develop into a midrotation starter with a chance for more.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50. -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: As a junior at Nebraska-Omaha in 2023, Boeve struck out just nine times in 211 plate appearances as he hit .401/.512/.563, an OBP that ranked 14th in the nation. The Brewers drafted him in the second round that year and signed him for $1.25 million.
Scouting Report: Boeve has a strong frame with a thick lower half, though it’s his contact skills that stand out more than his power. He loads with a small toe tap, has little movement in his swing with a short path to the ball. Boeve has a good sense of the strike zone and doesn’t miss much, with the hand-eye coordination and approach to spread the ball around the field. Boeve makes hard contact, though his bat path results in more ground balls and low line drives than loft, so he doesn’t project to hit for big power without a swing adjustment. An offensive-minded player, Boeve is primarily a third baseman, though he played more second base after signing while 2023 first-round pick Brock Wilken got most of the reps at third. He’s a below-average runner whose lack of first-step quickness limits him. Some scouts think he could end up in an outfield corner or at first base, while others think his defensive actions and average arm will be enough to be a fringe-average defender at third.
The Future: If Boeve can continue to progress defensively and tap into more game power, he has the upside to develop into an everyday third baseman. High-A Wisconsin is likely his next stop.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/Medium
Track Record: Black was an on-base machine at Wright State, where he hit .383/.496/.683 in 2021, when the Brewers drafted him 33rd overall. His first full season in 2022 ended after 64 games when he fractured his scapula while making a diving catch in center field. He returned in 2023, spending most of his time at third base and posting the highest OPS of any prospect in the organization with at least 200 plate appearances.
Scouting Report: Black has elite plate discipline and consistently works himself into favorable counts and piles up walks. His lefthanded swing starts with a high, hanging leg kick and he’s typically on time, leading to a high contact rate. Black keeps his hands inside the ball well with a tight barrel turn, allowing him to cover the inner third of the plate while maintaining an all-fields approach. He’s a good low-ball hitter, though he had trouble making contact with fastballs up in the zone. Black showed more power in 2023, though it’s still fringe-average raw power that mostly comes to his pull side. Black is a good athlete, a plus runner and a smart, aggressive baserunner who gets good jumps, leading the organization with 55 stolen bases. Black has long been an offensive-oriented player trying to find a position. Primarily a second baseman in college, he played mostly second base and center field in 2022, then became a primary third baseman in 2023. While he made progress during the season, he’s a below-average defender there with a fringe-average arm, limited range and footwork that needs improvement. He got time at first base as well.
The Future: Black’s hitting polish should allow him to make his major league debut early in 2024, potentially as Milwaukee’s starting third baseman. He’s a potential league-average regular, with more upside if he can tap into more power or improve his defense.
Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 40 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade: 60/High
Track Record: The Brewers drafted shortstop Eric Brown Jr. with their first-round pick in 2022, but their highest bonus ($2.35 million) of that draft class went to Misiorowski, their second-rounder. In Misiorowski’s first full season in 2023, the Brewers tightly controlled his workload early--he threw more than four innings only once in the first two months--but he rose through three levels, finishing at Double-A Biloxi.
Scouting Report: Misiorowski’s raw stuff stacks up among the best of any pitching prospect in the game. He’s a gangly 6-foot-7 righthander with an explosive fastball, sitting at 95-99 mph and topping at 102. Misiorowski generates a ton of extension from a low release height out of his low three-quarters arm slot, allowing his already outstanding velocity to play up because of the unusual look. His slider flashes as a plus-plus pitch, producing a high whiff rate against both righties and lefties. He throws a power slider in the mid-to-upper 80s at 2,400-2,600 rpm. The pitch snaps off with late bite to dive underneath barrels. His curveball, which he shelved in college but reintroduced in pro ball, is a plus pitch that gets whiffs as well. Misiorowski’s changeup is a firm, below-average offering in the low 90s that he rarely throws. While his control took a step forward in 2023, it still remains a concern. He walked 13% of batters, while his 18 hit batsmen tied for fourth in the minors. It’s a challenge for Misiorowski to sync up his long limbs in his high-effort delivery, which might always make it difficult for him to corral his stuff in the zone.
The Future: Misiorowski has the stuff to be a frontline starter or a wipeout reliever. His mechanics and control lead some scouts to think his future is in the bullpen, but if he can throw enough strikes and handle a bigger workload, he could develop into one of the game’s best starters.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 80 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 55/Medium
Track Record: When the Brewers signed Quero out of Venezuela for $200,000 in 2019, they quickly realized he was one of the best international catching prospects in the class. As a 20-year-old in 2023, he was one of the youngest players in the Double-A Southern League. He threw out 35% of basestealers and allowed 1.05 attempts per game, both rates among the best by minor league catchers with at least 50 games caught.
Scouting Report: Quero is one of the best defensive catchers in the minors. Pitchers love throwing to Quero, who is an energetic leader with a high baseball IQ with polished catch-and-throw skills. He’s a good receiver and an agile defender with a knack for blocking breaking balls in the dirt. With his plus arm and quick release, Quero controls the running game well with pop times often under 1.9 seconds on throws to second base. Quero shines with the glove, but his offensive game took a leap forward in 2023 as well to solidify his status as one of the game’s best catching prospects. With a slightly open setup, he has a simple lower half load with a small toe tap, quiet hands and is a good fastball hitter who doesn’t swing and miss often at pitches in the strike zone. He is an aggressive hitter who will need to develop more selectivity, particularly against offspeed stuff, but he has good bat control and added more power to his game in 2023, with exit velocities up to 111 mph and a chance to be a 20-25 home run hitter.
The Future: Ticketed to open 2024 in Triple-A nashville, Quero will likely spend most of the year there, though he could make his major league debut by the end of the season, when he will still be just 21 years old. If he can continue to refine his swing decisions, he has the upside to develop into a plus regular behind the plate.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 70 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Tejeda signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, then put forth a strong debut that summer that saw him rack up more walks (41) than strikeouts (22). He repeated the performance after moving stateside, where his .465 on-base percentage ranked second in the Florida Complex League and his 24 stolen bases were second only to teammate Keiner Delgado.
Scouting Report: Tejeda is a smaller player who makes plenty of contact but lacks impact at this point. His average and 90th percentile exit velocities were well below-average, but his offensive skills were buoyed by outstanding rates of miss and chase and excellent swing decisions. Tejeda was a shortstop as an amateur but split his 2023 season between second and third base in deference to a host of other middle infielders, like Roderick Arias and Keiner Delgado and George Lombard Jr. Second base is his best position, and he’ll likely be average there thanks to strong instincts and speed that grades as at least plus. He has average arm strength but needs to improve his accuracy.
The Future: Tejeda will move to Low-A Tampa in 2024, where he’ll again be clustered with Lombard, Arias and Delgado on the infield. He could be a utility infielder with skills on both sides of the ball.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade: 40/Medium
Track Record: Durbin was taken by Atlanta in the 14th round of the 2021 draft then shipped to New York in 2022 in the deal that sent reliever Lucas Lutege to Atlanta.
Scouting Report: After an excellent turn in the Arizona Fall League in 2023, Durbin started hot in Triple-A in 2024. The infielder doesn’t have flashy tools but scouts report a stronger player than the version they saw in 2023.
The Future: Durbin’s ability to make contact and move around the dirt on defense should get him to the big leagues in a utility-type of role. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Marte signed with the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, then spent the next two years in the Dominican Summer League, where he teased with a combination of projection and pitchability. He moved stateside in 2024 and showed the beginnings of improved fastball velocity and an improved slider.
Scouting Report: Marte is still tall and skinny, but his fastball has touched up to 96 mph this season while averaging around 92. He throws two varieties of the pitch—a four-seamer and a two-seamer—and complements them with a slider and a changeup. His changeup is his best present offspeed pitch, though the slider can flash late break, as well. At times it will become loose and loopy, and he does not show a consistent feel for spin. Marte would be well served to continue packing on good weight both to add future crispness to his mix and also to help him withstand the rigors of a full season.
The Future: If he continues adding strength to his frame and can show a more consistent feel for spin, Marte might have a chance to fit toward the back of a rotation. Full-season ball is his next step.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Slider: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Mayea defected from Cuba at an early age and established residency in the Dominican Republic. He signed with the Yankees on Jan. 15, 2023 for $4.35 million, the third-highest bonus of any player signed in the class. He spent his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, where produced a .782 OPS with three homers and 18 RBIs. He missed about 10 days of action after a minor ankle injury sustained on Opening Day while trying to stretch a double into a triple.
Scouting Report: Mayea was one of the most coveted player on the international market thanks to a well-rounded set of tools that should help him provide value on both sides of the ball. He turned in a solid pro debut that included excellent bat-to-ball skills compared to his peers and max exit velocities up to 108 mph. To turn those traits into more production, he’ll need to get more balls in the air. In the DSL, 58% of his contact was on the ground. His speed and athleticism should help him stick in center field, where he can be an average defender with an arm that could get to plus if he gains strength. He’s a double-plus runner who can cover plenty of ground. .
The Future: Mayea should move to the Florida Complex League in 2024, when he’ll get his first test stateside and should continue the wave of high-impact talent that the Yankees have sent through the low minors in recent years.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Flores played his college ball with Rio Hondo (Calif.) JC and also played with the Alaska Goldpanners—a barnstorming summer college team—after the 2022 season. He went undrafted in 2022, but the Yankees signed him as a free agent. He got into four games in the Florida Complex League after signing, then spent all of 2023 at High-A Hudson Valley where he split time between catcher and first base. He returned to High-A to begin the 2024 season and was promoted to Double-A on June 26.
Scouting Report: Flores is one of the best ball-strikers in the entire Yankees’ organization, which also contains hard-hitters like Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones and Agustin Ramirez. To wit, as of July 1, Flores’ 108.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was the best in the system among his peers with more than 100 balls in play. To make the most of that thump, he’ll need to get the ball in the air more often. Evaluators also suggest he might be getting too crouched over the plate, which leads to him having to move up before he can attack pitches located in the upper tier of the strike zone.
The Future: Now at Double-A, Flores is a sneaky prospect who could jump further onto the radar if his hard-hit rates begin translating into more production.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Speed: 20 | Fielding: 40 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Beeter was the Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2020 out of Texas Tech, where he was teammates with current system-mate TJ Rumfield. He was dealt from Los Angeles to New York in the 2022 deal that sent Joey Gallo west. He split his 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A, was the Yankees’ representative in the Futures Game and finished with 165 strikeouts, the eighth-most in the minors.
Scouting Report: Beeter works primarily with a combination of a low-90s fastball and a low-80s slider. Together, the pair accounted for roughly 90% of his pitches in 2023. Scouts believe the deception in Beeter’s delivery helps his fastball play better than its velocity. His sweepy slider has the makings of a plus pitch and will be his primary offspeed weapon no matter his future role. He ties his repertoire together with a curveball at around 81 mph and a changeup around 85 mph. Both pitches were sparingly used, but scouts thought the changeup had potential to be at least fringy. The curveball is mostly a strike-stealer. The Yankees believe Beeter’s struggles at Triple-A, where his strikeout rate stayed static but his walk rate ballooned to 5.6 per nine innings, showed him that he needs to pitch with more finesse rather than throwing his mix with max effort.
The Future: Beeter was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, suggesting that he could make his big league debut in 2024. While he has an outside shot to start, his likely future is as a reliever who can pitch in short bursts or bulk innings.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 30 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Vilorio garnered the highest bonus ($1.7 million) in the Yankees’ most recent international class, as part of the period that opened on Jan. 15, 2024. He has some of the more explosive tools in the class and should provide a mix of power and speed as matured.
Scouting Report: Vilorio’s skill set is exciting and could get even better. Some scouts see a player who fits a power-over-hit profile, but his biggest fans believe he’ll have enough bat-to-ball skills to help his plus raw juice play more often in games. Vilorio’s plus speed should allow him to start his career in center field, with a chance he could stick there, though he might outgrow the position and move to right field, where his plus-plus arm would fit.
The Future: Vilorio will begin his career in the DSL and could begin hinting at the potential that lies within his loud tool set.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 70 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Ziehl led Miami with 30 appearances during his 2022 freshman season and then moved into a full-time starter role for the next two seasons. In the rotation, he showed much improved control and consistency.
Scouting Report: A 6-foot, 223-pound righthander, Ziehl is a standout competitor who repeats his delivery well and throws plenty of strikes to maximize his pure stuff. In the 2024 season he posted a 4.15 ERA over 91 innings and 15 starts with a 21.1% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate. Ziehl has a three-pitch mix but he mostly goes to a 93 mph fastball that has been up to 97 mph in the past and 96 mph this spring. He also has a mid-80s slider that he used nearly 40% of the time this spring. Ziehl has excellent feel to land both pitches, and managed to throw his short sweeping slider for strikes more than 70% of the time. Against lefthanded hitters Ziehl will mix in a mid-80s changeup more frequently, and the pitch does feature solid fading life to the arm side, though none of Ziehl’s three pitches are clearly plus offerings now. Instead he relies on mixing and matching, changing speeds and location and avoiding any free passes that will get him into trouble.
The Future: Miami pitchers have been on a run in pro ball of late, with Alejandro Rosario (Rangers) and Carson Palmquist (Rockies) among the university’s recent alums. The Yankees hope Ziehl soon joins that list.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 55. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Perez signed with the Yankees out of Venezuela in March of 2023, then put together a pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that showcased a discerning eye, bat-to-ball skills but little in the way of power. He moved to the Florida Complex League in 2024 and continued showing an exemplary knowledge of the strike zone as well as one of the better defensive skill sets from a catcher in the league.
Scouting Report: Perez doesn’t have the eye-popping offensive tools of Yankees catching prospects of years past, but he puts the bat on the ball and rarely swings at anything outside of the strike zone. His power has jumped as well, with 90th percentile and max exit velocities of roughly 102 and 110 mph. The 18-year-old is also extremely passive at the plate, with a swing rate of nearly 33% that ranks near the bottom of all players with 100 or more plate appearances. Perez is a compact, mobile receiver who is adept at blocking pitches and uses a plus throwing arm to control the running game. He is a below-average runner.
The Future: If he continues developing, Perez has the skills to be an everyday catcher who sticks behind the plate and hits toward the bottom third of an order.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Speed: 40 | Fielding: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Urena inked for $275,000 as part of the Yankees’ 2022 signing class--the jewel of which was shortstop Roderick Arias--and then made a quick impression in the Dominican Summer League, but a broken hand meant Urena played just 11 games. The damage was worse in 2023, when surgery on his left knee kept him off the field all season long.
Scouting Report: When healthy, Urena has shown the skills necessary to be the latest in the Yankees’ line of offense-first catchers. He showed a taste of those skills in 2022 when he homered in his first professional at-bat. The blast became even more impressive when the team found out afterward that he’d done so with a broken hand suffered earlier in the game. The lack of reps has also cost Urena much-needed development time on defense, where he was already raw thanks to an amateur career spent mostly as an outfielder. He showed an above-average arm but needs to continue to polish the rest of his defensive skills in order to stick at the position.
The Future: If Urena returns healthy in 2024, he should make his stateside debut in the Florida Complex League, where he’d be part of another wave of talented prospects working their way through the Yankees’ lower levels.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Neely began his career at Texas, then transferred to Ohio State in 2021, after the sport resumed post-pandemic. He worked to a 6.10 ERA in his lone season with the Buckeyes but also struck out 62 hitters in 41.1 innings. The Yankees popped him in the 11th round in 2021, then let him get his feet wet in Low-A. In 2023, he was one of the system’s most dominant relievers and was the only pitcher in the minors to strike out 100 hitters without making a start. He reached Triple-A on June 19.
Scouting Report: Neely cuts an imposing figure on the mound at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, and he gets outs with a pair of pitches that each grade as plus or better. His fastball averaged 95 mph and touched a tick higher with plenty of life through the zone. Neely’s biggest weapon, however, is his slider. The pitch sits in the mid 80s with short, sharp life and more sweep than depth. He threw the pitch nearly half the time and got whiffs at a 58% clip. His arsenal plays up thanks to the deception in his delivery, and he ties everything together with above-average control and command that’s maybe a tick below.
The Future: Now that he’s reached Triple-A, his big league debut could come later this season. He has the stuff to be a late-game weapon.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 65 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 40/Medium
Track Record: Gomez signed with the Yankees in 2016 and was one the system’s most intriguing arms in the years before the pandemic. Tommy John surgery ended his 2021 season early and limited his 2022 season to just 47 innings. He dealt with right shoulder tendinitis in 2023 but recovered enough to make his big league debut on Sept. 28.
Scouting Report: After showing depressed stuff in 2022, Gomez looked closer in 2023 to his pre-surgery form. The righthander works with a four-pitch mix dominated by a combination of his four-seam fastball and slider. The former pitch averages roughly 94 mph with excellent shape and decent miss rates. The latter is thrown around 84 mph and features more sweep than vertical break. His curveball sits in the high 70s while the cutter averages around 88 mph. The Yankees have worked with Gomez to become more consistent with the length of his stride, which they believe will improve control and command that were slipshod in 2023.
The Future: now that he’s made his debut, 2024 will be a big year for Gomez. He’s likely out of options and would need to make the big club out of spring training. He’s likely a middle reliever at this point..
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Hurd was a high-profile pitching prospect out of high school but made it to campus at UCLA, where he had a standout 2022 freshman season with a 1.06 ERA over 34 innings with 48 strikeouts. Hurd then entered the transfer portal and moved to LSU, where he showed flashes of brilliance but also struggled with consistency, command and ultimately lost his 2024 starter job and was moved to the bullpen. In 2024 Hurd posted a 6.55 ERA over 44 innings, including nine starts and nine relief appearances, with a 16.2% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate.
Scouting Report: Hurd looks the part with a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and a relatively clean and easy delivery. He averages 94-95 mph with his fastball and has pushed the pitch up to 97-98 and has a pair of high-spin breaking balls. The slider is his best offering, a mid-80s sweeping breaking ball that features impressive movement and power and has real plus potential. The curveball is about five mph slower at around 80 and features tons of depth and 12-to-6 shape and could give him a second above-average breaking ball with spin rates that push 3,000 rpm.
The Future: Because of his pure stuff and athleticism many scouts think Hurd will be a better pro pitcher than college pitcher, but he’ll need to refine his command and figure out how to avoid the pileup innings that plagued him in Baton Rouge.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 55. Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: The Yankees signed Lagrange in 2022 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, where he allowed just 10 hits over 33 innings while striking out 43. He advanced stateside in 2023 and was part of an extraordinarily talented Florida Complex League that advanced to the championship round. His 63 strikeouts were the most in the league since 2018.
Scouting Report: Lagrange is a big, powerful righthander who cuts an intimidating presence on the mound and has the stuff to match. He primarily uses four- and two-seam fastballs that each sit between 95-97 mph and can reach triple-digits. The four-seamer is a monster, with high spin and horizontal break and a 44% miss rate. The two-seamer comes in a tick slower. His slider sits around 83 mph and induced a whiff rate of 48%. Lagrange has both a curveball and a changeup in his mix, but neither is thrown often and both have a long way to go before they’re truly viable parts of his arsenal. His control and command are below-average but showed improvement throughout the course of the season and he made his movement toward the plate more direct and consistent.
The Future: Lagrange is part of a pack of high-upside arms lurking at the back of the Yankees’ system. He has the ceiling of a no. 3 starter but could also be a bullpen hammer in the mold of Dellin Betances if he doesn’t improve his control or bring forward a third pitch.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Beeter was the Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2020 out of Texas Tech, where he was teammates with current system-mate TJ Rumfield. He was dealt from Los Angeles to New York in the 2022 deal that sent Joey Gallo west. He split his 2023 season between Double-A and Triple-A, was the Yankees’ representative in the Futures Game and finished with 165 strikeouts, the eighth-most in the minors.
Scouting Report: Beeter works primarily with a combination of a low-90s fastball and a low-80s slider. Together, the pair accounted for roughly 90% of his pitches in 2023. Scouts believe the deception in Beeter’s delivery helps his fastball play better than its velocity. His sweepy slider has the makings of a plus pitch and will be his primary offspeed weapon no matter his future role. He ties his repertoire together with a curveball at around 81 mph and a changeup around 85 mph. Both pitches were sparingly used, but scouts thought the changeup had potential to be at least fringy. The curveball is mostly a strike-stealer. The Yankees believe Beeter’s struggles at Triple-A, where his strikeout rate stayed static but his walk rate ballooned to 5.6 per nine innings, showed him that he needs to pitch with more finesse rather than throwing his mix with max effort.
The Future: Beeter was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, suggesting that he could make his big league debut in 2024. While he has an outside shot to start, his likely future is as a reliever who can pitch in short bursts or bulk innings.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 30 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
May Update: Vivas missed the first few weeks of the season after suffering an orbital bone fracture during spring training. He returned in late April but went back on the injured list a few days later with an undisclosed injury.
Track Record: Vivas compiled a long track record of hitting as an amateur in Venezuela and signed with the Dodgers for $300,000 in 2017. He continued to hit in the low minors and earned a spot on the 40-man roster before playing a game above High-A. Vivas made the jump to the upper minors in 2023 and continued to show advanced offensive ability. He finished second in the Dodgers system with 136 hits and 98 runs scored as he rose from Double-A to Triple-A. The Dodgers swapped him to the Yankees with Victor Gonzales in a trade for shortstop Trey Sweeney to clear 40-man roster space.
Scouting Report: Vivas is a small lefthanded hitter with a keen eye for the strike zone. He recognizes pitches and stays in the zone with a disciplined approach, helping him record nearly as many walks (69) as strikeouts (71) last season. Vivas has a natural feel for contact, but his swing has gotten longer and more aggressive as he’s tried to add power. He still has good bat speed and extension, and possesses an advanced ability to manipulate bat angles and drive the ball in all parts of the zone. He projects to be an average hitter and could reach double-digit homers as he gets stronger. Vivas has gotten faster and added range at second base to improve to an average defender. He makes the routine plays with solid actions and has fringe-average arm strength.
The Future: Vivas’ contact and on-base skills give him a chance to be a second-division starter. He’ll begin 2024 back at Triple-A, and has a shot to spend some time in New York this season.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: In 2017, the Yankees used some of the money they had allocated for Shohei Ohtani to sign Pereira. His career has been waylaid time and again by injuries, and 2022 is his only season with more than 100 games. Pereira was excellent at the upper levels in 2023 and made his big league debut on Aug. 22. He struggled mightily in the majors, striking out nearly 39% of the time.
Scouting Report: Pereira has plenty of tools. Now, he needs to make more contact to help them turn into skills. His raw power is among the best in the system, with some scouts putting it at nearly double-plus, and his 90th percentile exit velocity of 109 mph was tied with Spencer Jones for tops in the organization. In the minors, his miss rate was 36%. In a small big league sample, that figure jumped to 43%, which coincided with a 4% increase in swing rate. If he becomes more selective, Pereira could be a fringe-average hitter with above-average power. The Yankees also worked with him to simplify the movement with his hands from a season ago, and also helped him learn which swings to deploy in which situations and against which pitches. Of the Yankees’ upper-level options, Pereira is the best bet to stick in center field, where his plus speed helps him track down balls from gap to gap. He has an above-average arm as well, which would allow him to play in a corner if needed.
The Future: After a taste of the big leagues, Pereira will be given every opportunity in spring training to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, especially with Jasson Dominguez recovering from Tommy John surgery. If he can cut down on his swing-and-miss issues, he has a chance to be a well-rounded center fielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Lalane was part of the Yankees’ 2021 international signing class. The lefthander comes from athletic bloodlines, with a father who played basketball collegiately in New York, then for the Dominican national team and professionally in Europe, and a mother who played volleyball. Both parents passed their athleticism to their son, who spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before moving to the Florida Complex League in 2023. He was the clear-cut best pitching prospect on the circuit, with a 34-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21.2 innings.
Scouting Report: Lalane’s hallmark is not a single pitch but the combination of size, athleticism and stuff that gives him an extremely high upside. The 6-foot-7 lefty works with a four-pitch mix, starting with a mid-90s fastball that peaked at 97 mph. The pitch has strong movement properties and gains deception because of its low release height. He backs up his fastball primarily with a mid-80s changeup and a high-70s slider. Each projects to at least a plus pitch. Lalane’s changeup was deceptive enough to get whiffs at a nearly 53% clip, and his slider was nasty enough that he could throw it at the back foot of righthanders and get plenty of awkward swings and misses. Lalane tied his mix together with impressive coordination of his massive frame and long levers, to the point where he could throw strikes in both quality and volume. The next steps will be to work to keep his slider shape more consistent and to get stronger in order to add more velocity to all his pitches.
The Future: Lalane will graduate to full-season ball in 2024 and could see time at both Class A levels. If he continues to show the same combination of stuff, athleticism and coordination, he could be the best lefthander New York has developed since Jordan Montgomery.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: The Yankees took Selvidge out of an Arizona high school in the third round of the 2021 draft and signed him to a $1.5 million bonus, the second-highest in their class. He spent both of his first two seasons in the Florida Complex League before advancing to full-season ball in 2023. He split the year between both Class A levels and racked up 137 strikeouts, the seventh-most in the system.
Scouting Report: The vast majority of Selvidge’s mix is made up of two pitches: a low-90s four-seam fastball with late ride and a mid-80s bullet slider. The former pitch posted elite spin rates around 2,700 rpm, while the latter spun at roughly the same rate that was good for both called strikes and chases. Mechanical adjustments to get him a bit more north-south in his delivery helped Selvidge’s velocity tick up a touch. The next step is to use his mid-80s changeup and high-80s cutter more often to give himself a more complete arsenal. Scouts notice that Selvidge slows his arm on his offspeeds and cutter, which will allow upper-level hitters to capitalize. He also needs to get stronger in his lower half in order to avoid spinning off and spraying the ball all over the zone.
The Future: Selvidge has a chance to fit around a no. 4 starter if he brings his changeup or cutter forward and irons out the kinks in his delivery. If not, his fastball and slider should fit in the bullpen.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 40 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Serna was inked out of Mexico in 2019 but the pandemic canceled the minor league season and pushed his debut until 2021. The righthanded hitter walked more often than he struck out at both stops in the complex leagues. He had a rough introduction to full-season ball in 2022 but rebounded in 2023 with an excellent year across both Class A affiliates.
Scouting Report: Serna is an intriguing hitter who makes sound swing decisions with decent thump but needs to improve the trajectory of his contact. He has quick hands and a quick bat and rarely misses pitches inside the zone. Serna’s chase rate was a bit high, which leads to weak contact on pitches he cannot impact. He did a better job elevating the ball when he was at Low-A but regressed into beating the ball into the ground when he moved to High-A. He projects as an average hitter with below-average power and doesn’t have a frame that looks like it can add much more strength. Serna is a steady defender who could be fringe-average at second base, where his below-average arm is less of an issue because of the new shift restrictions that limit positioning infielders in the outfield.
The Future: The 2024 season will be a big test for Serna, who will reach the upper levels for the first time. His limited defensive profile will mean he needs to hit to his complete potential to reach his ceiling of a bat-first everyday second baseman.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: After a season and change at Dartmouth, Rice’s college career ended when the pandemic canceled the remainder of the 2020 season and the Ivy League chose to cancel the 2021 season as well. By the time he was drafted, he had nearly three times as many plate appearances in summer college leagues as he did with Dartmouth. Yankees area scout Matt Hyde stayed on him the whole time, and New York pounced in the 12th round. After two seasons spent mostly at Low-A, Rice broke out in 2023 and was one of the system’s biggest risers despite a left oblique injury that limited his season to just 73 games.
Scouting Report: Throughout his career, Rice’s hallmark has been his strong plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills. The results have been strikeout and walk rates of roughly 19% and 13%. He was also one of just three minor leaguers with 20 or more homers and fewer than 70 strikeouts. The lefty hitter hits the ball quite hard, with average (91) and 90th percentile (104) exit velocities that ranked among the best in the system. His barrel accuracy was also excellent. When he’s going bad, Rice has a tendency to hook balls. To fix the problem, the Yankees worked with him to keep his body in the proper position to stay behind pitches and drive them across the field. Rice catches in a one-knee down stance and did a good job keeping pitches in front of him--he allowed just one passed ball all year--but he’s going to have to really improve his arm to control the running game. He caught just 5 of 68 potential basestealers between High-A and Double-A. Rice also got into 18 games at first base, which could be his long-term home.
The Future: Rice will play all of the 2024 season as a 25-year-old, when he’ll likely make his Triple-A debut. He could be an offensive-minded player who bounces between first base and catcher but plays regularly.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Cunningham split time as a starter and reliever during his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, but he pitched well in the Cape Cod League as a starter in 2023 and continued to thrive in the role during his 2024 draft season this spring. A 6-foot-5, 230-pound righthander, Cunningham pitched to a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts and 84.2 innings, though he had wonky home-road splits and was consistently better in Nashville than he was on the road.
Scouting Report: Cunningham’s arsenal starts with a power fastball that sits 94-95 mph and has been up to 99 in the past, but the pitch typically topped at 97 this spring. His fastball has above-average velocity and was his most consistent pitch for strikes. Cunningham also throws a mid-80s slider that was previously his best swing-and-miss offering, though the pitch was supplanted by an upper-80s changeup that was his most consistent offspeed weapon in 2024. His change features surprisingly high spin rates and tremendous armside movement that make it difficult to square up. His slider features tight two-plane break at times, but he’ll need to rein in his command and consistency to make the most of it.
The Future: Cunningham has shown he can throw enough strikes to start, but he’ll need to continue refining his secondary command and start-to-start consistency in pro ball.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50. -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Hess is an extra-large righthander with a 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame and big velocity. He pitched in parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Alabama but was limited by injuries before turning in his first fully healthy season in 2024. In 15 starts this year, he posted a 5.80 ERA in 68.1 innings with a 34.8% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate. That walk rate was much higher than scouts hoped or expected to see and was particularly an issue as he tried to navigate Southeastern Conference competition.
Scouting Report: Hess has a fastball that sits around 94 mph and has been up to 98-99 with above-average riding life. He complements it with three different secondary pitches. Hess’ mid-80s slider has traditionally been his go-to breaking ball. When executed properly, the pitch features two-plane break and solid depth, but his location of the offering was inconsistent this spring. Hess also throws a mid-70s curveball with 12-to-6 shape and solid depth and a mid-80s changeup with lots of armside life. Like his slider, Hess’ changeup was another pitch he showed less feel for in 2024 compared to his previous years with Alabama.
The Future: Hess’ four-pitch mix, strong frame and relatively easy delivery give him a chance to start, though to do so he’ll need to rediscover some of the control that he flashed in previous years.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Curveball: 40. Changeup: 50. Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: An eighth-round pick in 2021, Warren was shut down after signing in favor of more controlled instruction at the team’s minor league complex in Tampa. When he emerged, he put forth a breakout 2022 season between High-A and Double-A that included 125 strikeouts in 129 innings and earned him the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year honors. He split 2023 between Double-A and Triple-A, where he struck out 149 in 129 innings.
Scouting Report: Warren works with a varied arsenal that includes four- and two-seam fastballs, as well as a cutter, slider, changeup and curveball. Both fastballs are thrown around 94 mph and occasionally bump a tick higher. He changed the grip on his four-seamer this season in an attempt to give it more life. Warren’s sweeping slider is also a potential plus pitch, and it pairs well with his two-seamer to form an excellent east-west attack. He rounds out his repertoire with a fringy changeup in the high 80s. Warren added a cutter in 2023 to help him attack lefthanded hitters more effectively. His cutter and curveball were thrown a combined 5% of the time. The Yankees want Warren to continue to learn the best ways to deploy his mix, and part of the reason behind his promotion to Triple-A was to show him that more advanced hitters are less prone to chasing pitches than those at the lower levels. Those hitters, plus a stricter strike zone enforced by the automated ball-strike system, led to a slightly elevated walk rate and about a 2% lower strike rate. Warren has plenty of weapons. Now, he needs to learn the best ways to use them.
The Future: Warren’s likely role is as a starter toward the back end of a rotation with a fallback option as a powerful multi-inning reliever. He should make his MLB debut in 2024.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 55 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: The Yankees drafted Hampton out of Texas Tech in 2022, then shut him down in favor of work behind the scenes in their pitching program. That work included adding a slider and cutter to his repertoire. Hampton made his pro debut in 2023 and almost immediately ascended into the upper echelon of the system’s pitching prospects. He split his season between High-A and Double-A and finished with 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Scouting Report: Hampton’s bread-and-butter pitches are his fastball and slider, which he threw the most frequently. The former sits around 94 mph and has touched a few ticks higher while showing outstanding vertical break. The latter is a mid-80s pitch that scouts see as a potentially above-average breaking pitch. His curveball is on equal footing with his slider, though it is thrown more in the high 70s with top-down break that garnered whiffs both in and out of the zone. Hampton’s cutter--one of the weapons the Yankees introduced when he turned pro--is an excellent weapon that he can land to both his glove and arm side with short, sharp break. Hampton has a fringy, seldom-used changeup in the high 80s. He ties the package together with control that is at least above-average and could get to plus with further refinement. When he was at High-A, he found he could simply dominate hitters with his stuff. Upon moving to Double-A, he spent time learning how to become more of a complete pitcher. He learned which pitches to throw in certain situations, and the Yankees still would like to see him throw his fastball more often.
The Future: Hampton should begin 2024 in Triple-A with a chance to make his big league debut in the second half. He has the upside of a no. 3 starter if everything comes together in his development.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Lombard is the son of former big leaguer George Lombard, who played for four teams over parts of six seasons and is now on the Tigers’ coaching staff. Lombard Jr. was one of the youngest players in the 2023 draft class and upped his prospect stock over the summer by showing up with increased strength that showed up in his power and speed. The Yankees drafted Lombard 26th overall and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $3.3 million. He split his first pro test between the Florida Complex League and Low-A.
Scouting Report: Lombard is a well-rounded player who has five tools that all grade as at least average, with power and speed that could get to above-average. His swing, which starts with a slow leg kick, is both controlled and powerful. It allowed him to produce a .989 OPS on the showcase circuit and then rack up more walks (13) than strikeouts (12) in 13 pro games. He handles both velocity and spin well, doesn’t show any obvious flaws and posted solid exit velocity numbers in his small pro sample. His first step out of the box is a little bit slower, but he can produce above-average run times and kick it up a shade higher underway. Lombard has solid actions up the middle and plus arm strength, which should give him a strong chance to stick at shortstop. If he fills out his frame further, it might push him toward third base, which would put more pressure on his bat. If more power comes with the strength, he could profile at the position.
The Future: Lombard will open his first full year as a pro with Low-A Tampa, where he could share shortstop with fellow top prospect Roderick Arias. He has the upside of a middle infielder who provides value on both sides of the ball.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Arias was the Yankees’ top signing in the 2022 international period, garnering a $4 million bonus that was the second-highest in the class. The shortstop spent his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League, but his year was limited by injury to just 31 games. He moved stateside to the Florida Complex League in 2023 and showed flashes of potential all-star upside before a broken thumb brought his season to a close after just 27 games.
Scouting Report: In an FCL loaded with talent, Arias stood above nearly all the rest as one of the clear-cut top prospects in the league. He came by his accolades thanks to a set of eye-popping tools that could make him a fixture in the middle of the Yankees’ lineup in a few years. He has the potential to be at least an above-average hitter thanks to an outstanding feel for the strike zone and an unwillingness to chase, albeit with a slightly elevated rate of in-zone miss relative to age and level. When Arias connects, he does damage. His exit velocities and barrel rate were better than average, including a 90th percentile EV of 103.5 mph. He hit six home runs before the injury, including one off the batter’s eye against big leaguer Alek Manoah. Arias has a strong shot to stick at shortstop and got better as the year went along. He handles most anything hit his way and has the elite arm strength to erase runners on balls hit deep in the hole. Arias is an extremely athletic player who is a plus runner who glides around the basepaths, especially when he gets underway.
The Future: Arias will get his first test of full-season ball in 2024, when he will continue down a development path that could lead him to a starring role in New York. He’s got a long way to go until then, and he must stay healthy as well.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 70 -
BA Grade: 50/High
May Update: After scuffling in Double-A to end the 2023 season, Ramirez, who was added to the 40-man roster over the winter, looked rejuvenated at the level in 2024. There’s still questions about whether he can stick behind the plate, but he has the makings of a bat-first player wherever he lands on the diamond.
Track Record: Ramirez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 and has moved slowly through the system. He repeated the Florida Complex League in 2022 and didn’t reach full-season ball until 2023, when he got on a rocket ship through the system. Ramirez zoomed from Low-A to Double-A, slugging 18 home runs along the way. The total bested his previous career mark by four longballs.
Scouting Report: Ramirez’s calling card is going to be the damage he can do with his bat. He marries bat speed with a stroke that keeps the barrel in the zone a long time. The combination helped him produce big-time average (91 mph) and 90th percentile (106.6 mph) exit velocities that will give him a ceiling as a thumper. Ramirez also makes a lot of contact in the strike zone but needs to rein in his chase rates a touch. He also could stand to make his path to the zone a little less steep. He has plus arm strength but needs plenty of polish when it comes to receiving and blocking. He’s a well below-average runner.
The Future: The Yankees protected Ramirez on the 40-man roster, and he’ll return to Double-A in 2024. If he can rein in chase rate, he’ll make the most of his strength and bat speed and could be an offensive-minded backstop. He also got a few games at first base upon moving to Double-A, and his bat would profile at the position.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 60/Very High
Track Record: Jones was a two-way talent as a high schooler, but a broken elbow helped him make it to campus at Vanderbilt. The Yankees drafted him 25th overall in 2022 and signed him for $2,880,800. Jones reached Low-A in his pro debut, then split his first full season between High-A and Double-A. His 155 strikeouts were the most in the system, and his 109 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity tied for the highest in the organization.
Scouting Report: See Jones on the right day and he looks like one of the best prospects in baseball. See him on the wrong day and his strikeout issues appear to put a sizable roadblock in his path. Jones improved as the 2023 season went on, going from a 34.6% strikeout rate in April and May to a 26% rate from June onward. To achieve that success, he had to improve his approach and swing decisions. He was selling out to crush fastballs, which made him vulnerable to breaking balls. Sliders overall were particularly vexing, and he had trouble with breaking balls below the zone in general. Once he started adjusting his approach to the way pitchers were attacking him, he got better. Jones’ power is one of his calling cards, and his 93.8 mph average exit velocity was among the 10 best in the minor leagues among players with 100 or more plate appearances. Jones’ long strides allow him to cover a lot of ground in center field, but scouts are split about whether he’ll remain there. If he moves off the position, his average arm would fit in either corner.
The Future: The 2024 season will be big for Jones. He’ll spend an entire season facing upper-level pitchers with the quality stuff and command to demonstrate how much further Jones will need to improve to reach his ceiling as an athletic middle-order thumper.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 60/High
Track Record: When he signed in 2019, Dominguez instantly became one of the most celebrated Yankees prospects in recent memory. His pro debut got pushed back a year when the pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season. The spotlight got even brighter in summer 2021, when Dominguez was named to his first Futures Game before he had played a game outside the Florida Complex League. He returned to the Futures Game in 2022 and hit a booming home run to center field at Dodger Stadium. He finished the season in Double-A with a flourish, homering from both sides of the plate in the game that clinched the Eastern League championship for Somerset. In 2023, Dominguez returned to Somerset, where he started slowly before turning it on in the summer months, and especially after a promotion to Triple-A. He opened his big league career with a bang on Sept. 1, when he homered off Justin Verlander in his first major league at-bat. He homered three more times over the next seven games before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and having Tommy John surgery.
Scouting Report: Dominguez’s 2023 season started slowly and strangely. From Opening Day until June 30, he hit .197/.345/.357 and had the look of a three-true-outcomes hitter. At that time, nearly half of his plate appearances ended in either a walk (56), a strikeout (85) or a home run (10). He hit the ball plenty hard all year long, with an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph and a 90th percentile EV of 105.7 mph, both above-average marks compared to his peers. His plate discipline was also excellent, with above-average in-zone and overall miss rates of 17.5% and 26.8%. Once the calendar hit July, Dominguez’s numbers started to look more in line with his tools. In 42 games until he was promoted to Triple-A, he hit .331/.399/.492. His combination of plate discipline, contact and power could make him at least an above-average hitter with potentially plus power. Dominguez split his time in the minors nearly evenly between left field and center field and got all of his defensive reps in the big leagues in center. The presence of Everson Pereira, who is a stronger defender up the middle, could push Dominguez into a corner. If that happens, his bat should easily fit the necessary profile. Scouts saw above-average run times Dominguez, and his sprint speed in his major league cameo fit the bill for a potentially plus runner once he gets underway. Tommy John surgery clouds his long-term arm strength, which scouts pegged as at least plus before the surgery. They also noted he did a good job getting himself into a strong position to throw.
The Future: Recovery from Tommy John surgery is quicker for position players, and Dominguez should be back in MLB at some point in 2024. If he reaches his ceiling, he’s a potential all-star who hits in the middle of a lineup. N
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: De La Cruz signed at 16 years old in 2022 for $150,000 as an international free agent. He progressed quickly and made his affiliated debut in 2023. After appearing twice in the Florida Complex League, De La Cruz was promoted to Low-A Jupiter, where he showed flashes of an exciting arsenal. In 12 starts that spanned 43.1 innings, De La Cruz posted a 4.57 ERA with 42 strikeouts and 32 walks.
Scouting Report: De La Cruz has a projectable, high-waisted frame and is a high-upside ball of clay for player development to mold. He has a low-effort delivery with a short arm action and plenty of arm speed. De La Cruz’s fastball sits in the 92-94 range with carry through the zone. At just 18 years old, it is easy to envision De La Cruz eventually pitching in the mid-to-upper 90s with the offering. His breaking ball blends shape at times, but it is a plus offering with plenty of horizontal break and in 2023 generated a miss rate north of 40%. De La Cruz also features a high-80s changeup, but he threw it sparingly in 2023 and will need to continue to refine it to help complete his repertoire. In addition to the development of a third pitch, De La Cruz’s command will also need to improve.
The Future: De La Cruz will begin the 2024 season in Low-A Jupiter, but should earn a promotion to High-A Beloit before long. He has an electric two-pitch mix and no. 3 starter upside, but he will need to prove he can stick in the rotation. There is plenty of reliever risk with De La Cruz and his future could be in the bullpen.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record:Shepardson is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander who has been a helium name for scouts in Colorado during the 2024 spring season.
Scouting Report: Shepardson made a significant step forward with his velocity and now throws his fastball in the 90-95 mph range after pitching in the upper 80s and touching 93 in 2023. He also has impressive feel to spin a slider around 80 mph that has big spin rates and above-average potential with late turning action. Shepardson primarily uses his fastball/slider combination but he does throw a four- and two-seam variation of the fastball that have different shapes. He pitched at the MLB Draft combine in June where he showed potential with an 87-88 mph changeup that flashed tons of tumble and fading life and could be a key piece of his arsenal moving forward, as well as a slower curveball at 79-80 mph.
The Future: Shepardson throws from a fair delivery and three-quarters slot and has been a scattered strike-thrower in the past, which combined with his primary two-pitch mix, adds some reliever risk. Shepardson was committed to San Francisco where his brother, Blake, currently pitches.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: Fitterer was taken in the fifth round of the 2019 draft out of an Orange County high school and given an overslot $1.5 million signing bonus. Since then, he’s been a bit of a slow burn prospect, making subtle and incremental improvements every season. After a rocky 2023 from a strike-throwing perspective, Fitterer has cut it to manageable levels thus far in 2024, earning him a recent promotion to Triple-A, putting him on the doorstep of making his MLB debut.
Scouting Report: Fitterer has always been known for his fastball shape, which features natural cut and is tough to square up. This season, he’s also increased his usage of a two-seam fastball that mirrors his cutting four-seam but in the opposite direction. Both sit in the 92-96 mph range. His best secondary weapon is an above-average 79-83 mph curveball with deep, two-plane break. He also mixes in a mid-80s changeup that’s a bit inconsistent but can run away from lefties when it’s on. Fitterer generally throws a passable amount of strikes, but his command is not pinpoint and he can get himself into trouble when he tries to be too fine.
The Future: Fitterer has all of the ingredients to be a No. 4 starter, but it’s also intriguing to think about the possibility of shortening his arsenal to a cutter/curveball combo that can play versus either side in shorter relief stints. Regardless of his role, he should have a future in the Majors as a flexible arm that can be a starter, longman, medium leverage reliever, or multiple of the above.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Dishmey was a low-cost signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He’s been progressing about one level at a time throughout Miami’s system, making his Low-A debut in 2024. Dishmey has struck out double-digit batters per nine innings at every stop, and is one of the more exciting young arms in the organization.
Scouting Report: Dishmey has a loose, whippy arm that produces mid-to-upper-90s fastballs with ride and run. The fastball is enough to rely on, which is a good thing because he doesn’t have much in the way of secondaries. He’s currently a two-pitch guy. His slider is a soft, rolling breaker in the low 80s without much bite to it. Dishmey is more of a control over command type, looking to get ahead without spotting in specific quadrants.
The Future: Dishmey has a shot at starting if he can round out his arsenal, but the more likely outcome is a move to the bullpen, where his fastball can really play up. Regardless, he projects as a future big leaguer given the fastball, age and strikeout rate.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 40/High
May Update: Martorella was one of four players traded to the Marlins in return for all-star second baseman Luis Arraez.
Track Record: An unsigned 30th-round pick of the Red Sox out of high school, Martorella became a three-year starter at California and posted a .430 on-base percentage with Cotuit in the Cape Cod League. He hit a career-best .333 with 11 home runs and a .977 OPS as a junior, leading the Padres to draft him in the fifth round and sign him for $325,000. After an impressive pro debut, Martorella climbed to Double-A in his first full season in 2023. He finished tied for second in the Padres’ system with 19 home runs and went to the Arizona Fall League after the season.
Scouting Report: A physical lefthanded hitter who gets into a low crouch similar to former Padres slugger Phil Plantier, Martorella will go as far as his bat takes him. He is an all-fields masher who overpowers balls with his brute strength and has average power. Martorella’s bat speed is merely average and his swing path can be flat, but he manages the strike zone well enough to hold his own against advanced pitching. Martorella is a 20-grade runner who has to improve defensively. He is a below-average defender at first base and left field with slow reaction times. He has an exceptional makeup and work ethic that should allow him to improve.
The Future: Martorella’s lack of athleticism limits his ceiling, but his bat gives him a path to the majors as a power-hitting reserve. He’ll open 2024 back at Double-A.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 20 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: Fulton had a standout high school career at Mustang High and was one of the most coveted prep arms in the 2020 draft class. Fulton had Tommy John surgery as a senior and saw his draft stock slip. The Marlins called his name 40th overall in the shortened five-round draft and signed him for an over-slot $2.4 million. When healthy, Fulton has proved to be a quality starter option. After a successful first stint at Double-A Pensacola in 2022, Fulton ran up a 5.18 ERA with 19 walks in 33 innings before he had a repair procedure on his UCL in June, ending his season.
Scouting Report: At 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, Fulton is an imposing figure on the mound. He has the prototypical build of a starter and has a thick lower half. His fastball sits in the 92-94 mph range and tops out at 95. It has life through the zone and generates a fair share of swing-and-miss. Fulton attacks from a high-three quarters slot and has some funk in his delivery, which allows the pitch to play up. He also features a mid-80s slider that serves as his go-to out pitch. Fulton spins his slider well and it has plenty of depth with two-plane break. Lastly, he has a high-80s changeup that flashes above-average with late fade. Fulton has above-average command and control of his arsenal, with most of his misses coming to his arm side.
The Future: Getting healthy and staying healthy will be the biggest key for Fulton, who has racked up 273 strikeouts in 230 pro innings. He will likely be ready by the time spring training begins and is slated to start the season at Double-A Pensacola. The potential of a major league debut is possible in 2025 or late 2024.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: Jenkins-Cowart is a 6-foot-6, 212-pound outfielder who has been a consistent presence in the middle of ECU’s lineup since his 2022 freshman season. Over his three year career Jenkins-Cowart hit .323/.370/.535 with 35 home runs while cutting his strikeout rate season after season.
Scouting Report: The big lefthander employs a crouched and grounded setup in the box with his weight shifted back on his back leg and a high back elbow in his handset. Many scouts expect a big league club will attempt to stand him taller in the box to create more length to his swing, get him loose and help him tap into his impressive raw power more frequently. While Jenkins-Cowart can hit the ball extremely hard and has shown all fields power, he’s never eclipsed more than 13 homers in a single season which is surprising given his raw power. He is an aggressive hitter who expands the zone more frequently than you’d like to see, but his overall contact rates are solid and perhaps he needs to dial in the approach a bit more to fully access that power.
The Future: Jenkins-Cowart has played a bit of center field but most of his time at ECU has come in right and he profiles best as a corner outfielder in pro ball. He can move well underway for his size but is probably a below-average runner with average arm strength.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50. -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: Ignoffo was a last-round pick last year out of Eastern Illinois. Miami has converted him to a catcher in pro ball. It’s gone okay defensively, while he’s absolutely exploded with the bat.
Scouting Report: Ignoffo has a prototypical short, squatty catcher’s body, and the arm to fit there. It’s a bit of a surprise he hadn’t been a primary catcher before. He still has some rough edges to clean up, but it’s an average arm for the position, and he shows some natural feel for blocking (although he can get lazy turning the glove over). Offensively, he makes a ton of solid contact and is incredibly tough to strike out. There isn’t a ton of top-end power here.
The Future: We don’t have a large sample, but Ignoffo has done nothing but hit in pro ball. If he continues to do so as he climbs levels, while progressing defensively behind the plate, he could develop into a catcher capable of at least splitting duties, if not more.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 40/High
Track Record: Sanoja signed for $500,000 as an international free agent in 2019, but was unable to make his professional debut until 2021 due to the pandemic. He has seen year-over-year improvement in each of his three professional seasons with 2023 being his most productive. Between Low-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit, Sanoja slashed .298/.348/.388 with 20 doubles, eight triples, four home runs, 67 RBIs and 37 stolen bases. Most of his production came in Jupiter, but Sanoja held his own in the notoriously pitcher-friendly Midwest League.
Scouting Report: Sanoja has an unorthodox setup in the box with his front side way open and a somewhat low handset, with his hands far away from his chest. As odd as his pre-swing look might be, it is an aesthetically pleasing and rhythmic operation. Sanoja consistently gets into a good hitter’s position and has some quickness in his hands. Given his astronomically high contact rates, there is no reason to make a ton of tweaks. Between Low-A and High-A, Sanoja had a 90% overall contact rate and a 94% in-zone contact rate. He has minimal impact, but he sprays base hits to all fields. Sanoja is a Swiss Army Knife defensively and has earned meaningful reps in center field, at shortstop, and at second base. He has advanced baseball sense with silky smooth hands and an average arm. Sanoja is also a plus runner who regularly makes his presence felt on the basepaths. Sanoja profiles best as a second baseman.
The Future: Sanoja should start the 2024 season in Beloit, but is likely to earn a promotion to Double-A Pensacola. Sanoja will be a nice utility option in the majors given his defensive versatility, but he is unlikely to debut before 2026.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 30 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: A $225,000 signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, Benitez has been pushed aggressively. He started the year in the ACL and was promoted again to Low-A after just three starts, where he’s one of the youngest starters in the league, having just turned 18.
Scouting Report: Benitez stands 6-foot-1 but is quite thin, with still plenty of room to fill out. His velocity has already started to come along, sitting low 90s but touching 94-95 when needed. Both his low-80s changeup and high-80s slurve show promise to be future average or better offerings. His command still comes and goes, especially on the offspeed offerings, but that’s not something unexpected for a freshly turned 18-year-old.
The Future: It’s not difficult to envision Benitez eventually sitting in the mid 90s with two solid secondaries and settling into a mid-rotation starter role. He’s still a ways away, but it’s clear that Miami is viewing him as one of their future potential building blocks.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Milbrandt was a two-sport star at Liberty High, starring in basketball as well as baseball. He was named the 2022 Missouri Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year. Milbrandt would go on to be selected in the third round--85th overall--of the 2022 draft and signed for an over-slot deal worth $1.5 million. Milbrandt in 2023 enjoyed a productive first full professional season, working a 5.09 ERA with 94 strikeouts and 51 walks in 97.1 innings across Low-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit.
Scouting Report: At 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Milbrandt has an athletic build and moves well on the mound. He has an easy, low-effort delivery as well as blistering arm speed. Milbrandt works primarily on the third base side of the rubber and attacks hitters from a mid-three-quarters slot. His fastball will sit in the 94-97 mph range and explodes out of the hand. Most of the swing-and-miss Milbrandt gets on the pitch is when it is located in the top half of the strike zone, where it displays run and ride through the zone. His go-to out pitch is a tight-spinning, low-80s curveball. It flashes big shape at times and has sharp, two-plane break. Milbrandt maintains his trademark arm speed well and it is effective against batters on both sides of the plate. It is an above-average offering and has out pitch potential down the road. Though he threw the pitch sparingly, Milbrandt also has a high-80s changeup in his arsenal that shows promise, showing run and fade to the arm side at times. A key for Milbrandt going forward will be continuing to refine his command, which in 2023 was inconsistent at times.
The Future: Milbrandt is on track to start the 2024 season at High-A Beloit and could reach Double-A Pensacola. He has the potential to be an effective no. 3 or 4 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Valor was a part of the Marlins’ 2023 international free agent class and signed for $520,000. He had a strong first professional season in the Dominican Summer League in which he hit .294/.360/.466 with 16 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 51 games.
Scouting Report: Valor has a great body at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. He has an incredibly athletic build with plenty of present strength, but he still has room to add more mass and impact potential. Valor stands almost completely upright in the box with a medium-high handset. He has a twitchy, compact operation with a small load, hardly any stride and scissor action in his back leg with lightning-fast hands. At just 17 years old, Valor has already posted a max exit velocity of 108 mph. His bat-to-ball skills at this point are solid, with an in-zone contact rate of 80%. Valor’s approach should only get better as he continues to get acclimated to professional baseball. He is a great athlete in the outfield with a quick first step and strong throwing arm. Valor covers plenty of ground to either gap and he has the defensive chops to stick in center long term. He oozes upside and is one of the most exciting prospects in the organization.
The Future: Valor this year figures to get his first taste of stateside baseball and is likely to start the year in the Florida Complex League. There is no reason to rush him, but there’s a chance he’s able to earn a promotion to Jupiter by season’s end. Valor’s big league debut is still a ways away, but he has all the tools to be an impact player.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/Extreme
Track Record: Cappe was one of the more highly touted prospects in the 2021 international signing period and signed with Miami for $3 million when he was 18 years old. Cappe’s first pro experience came in the Dominican Summer League that year. The lanky shortstop showed well, hitting .270 with 20 extra-base hits. After a productive 2022 campaign that was split between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Jupiter, Cappe spent the entire 2023 season at High-A Beloit. He hit just .220 but laced 26 doubles and swiped 19 bases while making three quarters of his starts at second base.
Scouting Report: Cappe has a tall, upright stance with a low handset and a loose operation. He has a slight load with his hands, a high leg kick and some present bat speed. Much of his damage and power is to the pull side, but given his physical projection and the likelihood of his frame to fill out, there is more impact on the way. Cappe struck out nearly 20% in 2023 and his approach will need refining as his overall chase rate was 38%. He particularly struggles against spin, which is the root of most of his swing-and-miss. However, he was just 20 years old in the notoriously pitcher-friendly Midwest League and has a track record of showing an advanced hit tool. Cappe has a chance to grow into at least average power, a tool he can supplement with a potentially above-average hit tool. He is an average runner and a bit clunky defensively, and his future home could be in the outfield.
The Future: Cappe will have a chance to progress to Double-A Pensacola by the end of the 2024 season. Once his positional future is solidified, he has the potential to be an impact bat as an everyday member of a big league lineup.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 40/Medium
Track Record: Pintar was a fifth-rounder out of BYU in 2022. Prior to this season, he looked to be a super-utility with a light bat that would bounce around the diamond. In 2024, Pintar has played center field exclusively and has become a totally different hitter, adding both OBP and power.
Scouting Report: Despite his 2024 uptick in power, Pintar projects for fringe-average power given his downhill swing and unspectacular top-end exit velocities. He shows some feel to hit and has demonstrated impressive plate discipline this season. Pintar is a good athlete and above-average runner. In the outfield, his surgically-repaired shoulder produces below-average arm strength. His routes/instincts are still a bit inconsistent, but his run/athleticism give him the chance to be passable in center.
The Future: Pintar has an outside shot to develop into a low-end everyday center fielder, and otherwise looks to fit as a highly useful up-the-middle bench option that can do a lot of things to win a game.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Trimble is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound outfielder who had a sensational sophomore season in 2023 when he slashed .342/.452/.631 with 13 homers and 22 doubles in 56 games for James Madison.
Scouting Report: Trimble played in the Cape Cod League the following summer where he struggled to replicate that same performance, but his solid toolset and a transition from corner outfield to center make him an intriguing prospect for MLB scouts. Trimble is a plus runner with average arm strength and average defense in the outfield and he’s also got a chance for above-average raw power. He has made strides cutting down his swing-and-miss each season with JMU, though ultimately he might be a below-average hitter.
The Future: Trimble’s pro career will depend on how well his bat keeps up with his solid tools.
Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: May has long intrigued scouts with his pure arm talent, and ranked as the No. 325 prospect in the 2022 class with Lima (Ariz.) JC thanks to a fastball that got into the mid 90s. He didn’t get drafted and played the 2023 season at Arizona, where he struggled with consistency and command, then transferred to Oregon State where he finally put everything together for the first time. With the Beavers, May posted a 3.05 ERA over 73.2 innings and 14 starts with a 27% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. A well-developed and physical righthander with a 6-foot-2, 196-pound frame, May throws with a bit of effort from a low three-quarters slot. He averaged 94 mph with a sinking fastball that touches 98, but actually threw a high-spin sweeping slider more often and as his primary offering. The slider is a plus breaking ball that gets a tremendous amount of horizontal movement—about 18 inches on average—and generated a 41% miss rate this spring. He’ll also mix in a hard upper-80s changeup but the pitch is a distant third offering in his arsenal and is mostly used in right-on-left matchups. There’s reliever risk with May thanks to his delivery and pitch usage, but a strong 2024 season and solid control could allow him a chance to start in pro ball.
Scouting Grades:Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Miller is a 6-foot, 200-pound third baseman who spent two seasons with Bishop State (Ala.) JC where he hit nearly .400 in his time with the program and led the team in most offensive categories as a sophomore. He transferred to Alabama for the 2024 season and maintained his high-level offensive performance with a .381/.474/.702 slash line and 18 home runs. His .381 average was the third-best mark among SEC hitters and he also has a strong performance track record in the Perfect Game Collegiate League during multiple summers.
Scouting Report: Miller has a very simple and quiet setup in the box with an even stance and the barrel rested on his shoulder until his load phase when he has a slight lift of the barrel and a slight leg kick before firing his hands to the ball. He’s an extremely pull-heavy hitter and almost all of his power went to the pull side, but Miller did a nice job making contact against fastballs and breaking balls, and more than held his own with 92+ mph velocity. He’s a bat-first prospect and below-average runner who is a risk to move off of third base at the next level. He’ll make the routine play but his range and footwork are light.
The Future: Miller might not have the arm strength necessary for third base, though his bat might still fit in a corner outfield spot if he can’t stick on the dirt.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45. -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Paulino was a $350K sign as part of Miami’s international free agent class last year, and he’s already turned heads in his pro debut. He will spend the entire season at age 17 and already owns some of the best stuff in the entire DSL.
Scouting Report: Paulino uses a whippy, coiled delivery and a lightning-fast arm to produce fastballs that already sit 95-97 and touch as high as 99 mph. He pairs it with a high-spin, big-breaking curveball that should be a plus strikeout weapon versus both sides. He will also mix in a still-developing changeup. Paulino’s control and command can be inconsistent, and that will be his biggest growth area as he gets older.
The Future: Paulino’s stuff is off-the-charts, especially at his age. There is some relief risk here given the big two-pitch mix and the present lack of command. He has the chance to be an impact out-getter in whichever role he arrives, though Miami should give him every chance to start. He is far away, but the sky is the limit.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Miller was named the Ohio Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 after a sparkling senior season when he posted a 0.35 ERA with an incredible strikeout-to-walk ratio of 94-to-6 across 40 innings. The Marlins then drafted him with the 46th overall pick and signed him to a slightly over-slot deal of $1,700,400. In his first full pro season with Low-A Jupiter, Miller posted a 4.70 ERA in 14 starts and 59.1 innings and struck out 50 batters.
Scouting Report: Miller stands at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds with some physicality in his lower half. There is a bit of effort in his delivery and he has an abbreviated arm stroke while attacking from a high three-quarters slot. His fastball sits 91-94 with some carrying life through the zone, though opposing batters hit .344 against it in 2023. Miller features two distinct breaking balls with a high-70s curveball and mid-80s slider. His curveball takes on a big shape and has some downward teeth, but his slider is the more effective pitch. In 2023 it generated a 42% miss rate and flashed tight, two-plane break. Miller throws a high-80s changeup sparingly, but it does show some promise with late tumbling life.
The Future: Miller should spend most of the 2024 season with High-A Beloit. He has no. 3 or 4 starter upside with continued progression.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The younger brother of former blue-chip Cuban prospect Victor Victor Mesa, Victor Jr. signed for $1 million alongside his older brother in fall 2018. The pair defected from Cuba in May 2018 in order to sign with an MLB team. While Victor Victor was the more highly touted of the two, Victor Jr. has surpassed him as a prospect. He had a fantastic pro debut in the Gulf Coast League in 2019, slashing .284/.366/.398 as a 17-year-old. He has steadily ascended the Marlins’ system, most recently completing a full season in Double-A Pensacola, where he flashed power and speed with 18 home runs, 24 doubles and 16 stolen bases.
Scouting Report: Mesa operates out of a slightly open, upright stance in the box with a medium-high handset. His swing is rather long with a noticeable barrel tip, but he does a nice job of extending through the ball and creating leverage in his swing. While Mesa hit for the most power in his pro career in 2023, it also came with a strikeout rate near 23%. He had an overall contact rate of just 71% with a chase rate of 33%. Cutting down on the movement in his operation should lead to less swing-and-miss and susceptibility to offspeed offerings. Mesa has above-average raw power and most of his damage is done between center and to his pull side. He is a strong defender in center field with range to either gap and an above-average throwing arm.
The Future: Mesa will likely begin the 2024 season at either Pensacola or Triple-A Jacksonville, but with a strong performance he could be on the big league club before the end of the season. While he might slide to an outfield corner, he has the potential to be a big league regular with overall offensive production near average.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Track Record: Morlando earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous hitters in the 2024 high school class thanks to a strong combination of contact skills, plate discipline and raw power.
Scouting Report: Morlando is powerfully built with well-developed musculature throughout a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame and easy plus raw power thanks to well above-average bat speed. Morlando’s hitting setup is unorthodox. He uses an extremely wide stance and no leg kick or stride, but rather a quiet and simple lower-half weight transfer. He has no wasted movement with his hands or head throughout the swing. The fact that he’s able to generate standout game power with that setup is a testament to his strength, bat speed and pure hitting ability. Notably, he didn’t show the sort of offensive performance scouts expected this spring, and teams might want to get him less grounded in the future. Morlando’s contact skills and swing decisions should make him an above-average hitter who will also take his fair share of walks.
The Future: An outfielder and first baseman, he might be best at first base, where his below-average speed and upright, heel-striking running stride won’t limit him quite as much.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50. -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Mack was drafted 31st overall in 2021 after a senior season when he hit .500 with eight home runs. He signed for an over-slot deal worth $2.5 million but has failed to live up to expectations thus far. Through three professional seasons, Mack has had minimal production at the plate. He showed some signs of life in 2023 at High-A Beloit, where he finished with a .218/.295/.287 slash line with 13 doubles, six home runs, and 36 RBIs but a 26.2% strikeout rate hindered his production.
Scouting Report: A defense-first catcher, Mack finally showed at least some prowess with the bat in 2023. He has an ultra-high handset in the box and uses a toe tap as a timing mechanism. Mack has some impact to the pull side, but that’s about it when it comes to the overall offensive profile. He has both below-average bat-to-ball skills and a below-average approach, and struggles mightily to pick up spin. In 2023, Mack had miss rates of 52%, 45%, and 44% against sliders, changeups, and curveballs respectively. One positive is he does fare relatively well against heaters, as evidenced by his 88% in-zone contact rate and 13 extra-base hits against the offering. The best part of Mack’s game is his defense. He receives well and has a plus arm, and in 2023 he threw out an impressive 26% of potential basestealers.
The Future: While Mack could conceivably begin the 2024 campaign with Double-A Pensacola, it makes sense for him to start back in Beloit for his bat to continue to make strides. He has the defensive chops to profile as a backup if he can improve his offensive approach or contact skills.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 40 | Run: 35 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound Alabama high school shortstop who has developed a reputation as one of the best pure hitters in the prep ranks.
Scouting Report: While Johnson doesn’t jump off the page with any physical tools, he has a steady, reliable hit-first game that is driven by a relaxed and fluid lefthanded swing and outstanding strike-zone awareness. His track record of in-game performance is lengthy. Johnson’s swing is compact and quick, enabling him to handle pitches in all areas of the zone thanks to above-average bat-to-ball skills. He’s a line-drive hitter who can use the entire field, though scouts are mixed on exactly how much more strength and power he’ll add in the future. Johnson could grow into average in-game power thanks to his barrel skills, but he is unlikely to be a 25-home run threat.
The Future: A shortstop now, Johnson could move to third base or second base in the future. He’s stretched at shortstop because of fringy pure speed and lateral quickness, though he should be fine at either second or third base, where he has enough arm to stick.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50. -
BA Grade: 50/High
May Update: Marsee was one of four players traded to the Marlins in return for all-star second baseman Luis Arraez.
Track Record: Marsee lettered in baseball, football and basketball at Allen Park (Mich.) High but was not drafted out of high school. He largely went under the radar at Central Michigan while hitting .345/.467/.550 with seven homers and 18 steals in 2022. The Padres went slightly under slot to sign him for $250,000 in the sixth round. Marsee finished his first summer in pro ball as the leadoff hitter for Low-A Lake Elsinore’s championship team and remained in that role while moving from High-A Fort Wayne to Double-A San Antonio in 2023. Along the way, Marsee led the system with 46 steals, added power to his profile and continued to flash both tools in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: A blue-collar baseball rat, Marsee wears out pitchers with a discerning eye at the plate, plus bat-to-ball skills and the ability to handle velocity. While he entered the system with below-average power, he took a step forward in that department in 2023. The organization asked for an uptick in aggression--picking out pitches to damage--and Marsee hit four homers over his final 12 games at High-A Fort Wayne and three more in 16 games to close the season at Double-A San Antonio. Even better, Marsee accomplished this while walking more than he struck out for a second year in a row. He has average speed but a good baseball IQ has made him the best baserunner in the system. He has an average arm, and a knack for reads and correct first steps makes him a quality defender. Plus makeup also gives Marsee a good chance to outperform his tools.
The Future: Presently viewed as an extra outfielder, Marsee will have to continue to show that his power uptick is real. He finished 2023 strong at Double-A and will likely return there to start 2024.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 60 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: De Los Santos’ feel for hitting, penchant for loud contact and natural strength got the D-backs’ attention as an amateur. After back-to-back strong years in his first two seasons in the minors, he hit his first speed bump in 2023. His struggles at Double-A Amarillo reached a point that the organization paused his season and brought him back to Arizona to clean up his swing. The difference upon his return was night and day, and De Los Santos finished the year as perhaps the hottest hitter in the organization over the final two and a half months of the season. Still, Arizona did not add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and he was selected by the Guardians.
Scouting Report: De Los Santos possesses a naturally powerful swing and the ability to drive the ball to all fields with authority, but that power got him into trouble in 2023. He developed bad habits trying to swing as hard as possible, and became too rotational and needed to make swing decisions too early. Once he toned down his approach while on the development list, De Los Santos went on a tear, and went from hitting .207 with a .576 OPS in his first 63 games to .322 with .936 OPS over his final 56. His approach is hyper-aggressive, but he maintained a manageable strikeout rate of 26%. De Los Santos is an average runner who could slow down as he matures. He has enough arm for third base, but his below-average footwork and hands limit his upside and make a shift across the diamond likely.
The Future: As a Rule 5 pick, De Los Santos must remain on Cleveland’s roster for the entire 2024 season or else he will be waived and offered back to Arizona if unclaimed. With Jose Ramirez entrenched at third base, that means the Guardians will mostly use De Los Santos at first base and DH. His righthanded power gives him an impact tool, but he’ll also be 20 years old on Opening Day and hasn’t appeared in a game above Double-A. For the Guardians, De Los Santos represents a low-risk, high-reward play.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
May Update: Head was one of four players traded to the Marlins in return for all-star second baseman Luis Arraez.
Track Record: The Padres certainly have an amateur type under general manager A.J. Preller--young, toolsy and plays up the middle. See: Jackson Merrill and James Wood in the 2021 draft, Robert Hassell III in 2020 and CJ Abrams in 2019. Head, the Padres’ first-rounder in 2023, fits the bill. He was the best position prospect in Homewood-Flossmoor High history as he hit .485/.568/.814 as a senior while striking out just five times in 118 plate appearances and going 31-for-31 in stolen bases. The Padres signed Head for a slightly-under slot $2.8 million as the 25th overall pick, and he finished his first pro summer at Low-A Lake Elsinore after dominating the Arizona Complex League in 14 games.
Scouting Report: Blessed with a ton of natural athletic ability, Head has plus-plus speed. The Padres clocked him at 6.3 seconds in the 60-yard dash ahead of the draft. That will serve Head well on the bases as he gets more comfortable reading pitchers, as well as in the outfield, where he has good instincts and solid arm strength. Presently, Head is a gap-to-gap hitter with a hit-it-where-it’s-pitched approach that allows him to put the ball in play and showcase his wheels. The lefthanded hitter cut down a high leg kick heading into the draft, improving his timing and balance. His hit tool is well ahead of the power, but the Padres believe Head could develop 15-20 homer power as he fills out a wiry strong frame. He showed strong swing decisions with 15 walks, 19 strikeouts and an elite in-zone chase rate of 7.6%.
The Future: Head is a good bet to develop into an everyday center fielder and could impact games with menacing speed and surprising pop for a leadoff hitter. He finished his first summer in pro ball in Lake Elsinore and will likely return to the California League to start 2024.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 55/Extreme
Track Record: Signed for $1.4 million, Cova was the top prospect in Miami’s haul of prospects during the most recent international period, which opened on Jan. 15, 2024. In 2022, he was the center fielder on Venezuela’s U-15 World Cup team. He’s an athletic player with a wealth of tools that immediately places him among the best prospects in Miami’s system.
Scouting Report: Cova has a high waist at the center of a lean, athletic frame that should take plenty more strength as he gets older. He has good bat speed, strong bat-to-ball skills and a line-drive approach, with his gap power growing to now clearing the fence with more frequency and indicators of significantly more power on the way given his bat speed and strength projection. The former shortstop now plays center field and his plus-plus speed and quick instincts should help him stick at the position. The sum of his parts could equate to a player who has an extremely high ceiling.
The Future: Cova should begin his pro career in the DSL, where he has a chance to begin scratching at his sky-high potential.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade: 55/High
May Update: Meyer, who admitted that his fastball can stray into what is analytically referred to as the dead zone, has had trouble throwing strikes at Low-A Jupiter.
Track Record: A high school All-American and the Gatorade Player of the Year for Oregon, Meyer excelled at Jesuit High in 2023 and pitched his way to a minuscule 0.33 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 128-to-19 in 63 innings. Meyer was the first high school pitcher off the board in 2023, selected 10th overall by the Marlins and signed him for $4.5 million. That was 18% under the slot value of $5,480,000 for the pick. Meyer threw 11 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Jupiter in his pro debut. He notched 15 strikeouts against seven walks.
Scouting Report: The 6-foot-5 Meyer features a lively 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 96 and 97. It has plenty of natural armside run given Meyer’s three-quarters arm slot as well as heavy sink at times. It bears in on the hands of righthanded hitters, making for a rather uncomfortable at-bat. Meyer’s command of the pitch was a bit scattered in his pro debut, but the sample was extremely small and his overall control is above-average. Meyer supplements his heater with a double-plus slider that has plenty of sharp, horizontal movement. It generates tons of swings and is a true out pitch. The spin rate of the pitch has eclipsed the 3,000 rpm mark, which is well above the major league average. To round out his arsenal, Meyer features a mid-80s changeup that he occasionally throws. It is an inconsistent offering, but it has flashed armside fade. Given Meyer’s arm slot, it is easy to dream on what the changeup might become, but for now it is an average pitch. The continued development of the offering will be key when it comes to maximizing Meyer’s upside as a starter. In high school, Meyer displayed above-average control and command of his arsenal, but it wavered in his pro debut. He moves well on the mound and has a loose, whippy arm stroke with exceptional arm speed. Meyer falls off toward the first-base side, which was certainly a contributing factor in his spotty control. Cleaning up his direction should not be too tall a task, and will likely lead to improved strike-throwing. As Meyer continues to mature physically and fill out his frame, he could add a few ticks of velocity.
The Future: Meyer projects to start the 2024 season at Low-A Jupiter, but will likely be promoted to High-A Beloit at some point. There is no reason to rush Meyer, but there is an outside chance he makes it to Double-A Pensacola by season’s end. His potential MLB debut is still years away, but he could make his debut by 2026 or 2027. Meyer is a top-of-the-line pitching prospect and has the potential to be a future no. 1 or no. 2 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 55/High
Track Record: After starring as a two-way player at Minnesota for three years with a career 2.13 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 148 innings, Meyer was drafted third overall in the 2020 draft and signed to an under-slot deal worth $6.7 million. He started his professional career at Double-A Pensacola in 2021 and he carved his way to a 2.41 ERA with 113 strikeouts in 101 innings. Meyer ended the season at Triple-A Jacksonville, where he had similar success. After making a dozen starts in Jacksonville to start the 2022 season in which he struck out 65 in 58 innings, Meyer was called up to Miami. He was off to a promising start before a July elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery and he missed the entire 2023 season.
Scouting Report: Meyer has an explosive fastball that sits in the 93-95 mph range and tops out at 97. It jumps out of his hand and takes on a unique shape with an average of 12 inches of induced vertical break and 5 inches of horizontal break. Most of batters’ swings and misses against the pitch come at the top of the zone. The main attraction with Meyer is his soul-snatching, high-80s power slider. It has tight spin with serious late teeth and is effective against hitters on either side of the plate. Meyer’s advanced feel for the pitch makes it all the more lethal. He also has a high-80s changeup that boasts ample armside fade and is an above-average pitch. Meyer is an athletic mover on the mound and has some effort to his delivery. He attacks from a high-three quarters slot and is consistently around the strike zone.
The Future: Meyer is poised to head into spring training healthy and will have the opportunity to make the big league Opening Day roster. He projects either as a midrotation arm or perhaps even a high-leverage reliever down the road.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 60/High
Track Record: White ranked as the top lefthander in the 2023 draft class after an illustrious prep career. He took home back-to-back Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year awards in 2022 and 2023 and was also named a 2023 High School All-American. In his senior season at Phillips Academy, White had a 1.66 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 42 innings. He was selected 35th overall by the Marlins and signed for $4.1 million, an amount nearly $2 million more than slot value. White’s pro career got off to a rocky start. Across three appearances spanning 4.1 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Jupiter, he had a 6.23 ERA with seven strikeouts, six walks and three hits allowed.
Scouting Report: White features a plus fastball that will sit in the 94-96 mph range and routinely top out at 97. It has plenty of carry through the strike zone and consistently gets above the barrel of opposing hitters. He also has a high-70s curveball with big shape and sharp, two-plane break. White has inconsistent feel for the pitch, but when it’s on it is a plus offering. Rounding out his repertoire is a mid-80s changeup that is an above-average pitch with tumble and fade. The 6-foot-5 White has an effortless delivery with a long, loose arm action. Strike-throwing has been a bugaboo at times, and tightening up his command will be key.
The Future: White is slated to begin 2024 at Low-A Jupiter with an opportunity to be promoted to High-A Beloit at some point. Adding polish will go a long way toward maximizing his potential, and he has no. 3 starter upside. White profiles to be in the big leagues no sooner than 2027, when he will be 22 years old.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Pallette was limited to just 19 games in his three-year college career at Arkansas, missing games first during the pandemic year. He moved to the Razorbacks’ rotation in his sophomore year for 15 games before having Tommy John surgery just before the 2022 season. Originally projected as a first-round talent before the elbow injury, Pallette’s three-pitch mix and pitch-data profile intrigued teams enough to keep him high on draft boards. The White Sox drafted him in the second round in 2022, signing him for an over-slot $1.5 million. After rehabbing for the entire 2022 season, Pallette got back on the mound in 2023 during spring training before getting a full slate of 22 starts at Low-A Kannapolis, where he posted a 4.13 ERA and struck out 78 in 72 innings.
Scouting Report: While size and durability concerns raise questions as to whether Pallette can stay in the rotation, he will continue to be developed as a starter because of the way his plus 93-95 mph fastball plays. His heater was up to 99 in college with impressive vertical break, and that velocity could come back the further he moves away from surgery. Pallette uses a four-seamer grip now and will look to add a two-seam sinker in time. He can really spin a 79-81 mph curveball with both 10-to-4 and 11-to-5 shape and a spin rate greater than 3,000 rpm. He’s still regaining his feel and consistency for his breaking pitch, as he varies the shape and tends to cast it instead of getting out front and finishing it. Pallette’s ultimate role may be determined by the development of a future average changeup that sits 86 mph and touches 88 when it’s too firm.
The Future: Pallette’s pair of plus pitches are a sign that he will have significant value either as a starter or reliever. With a strong spring, he could skip High-A and head right to Double-A Birmingham.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: A native of Panama who signed with the White Sox for just $75,000 in 2022, Burrowes started his career that same year in the Dominican Summer League. He made his U.S. debut in 2023 in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League with a batting line of .259/.330/.386. He brings natural athleticism and a complete kit of five tools to the field and projects to stick at shortstop.
Scouting Report: Burrowes has decent bat-to-ball skills and the ability to use all fields, with a blend of batting average and power as he adds strength to his wiry frame and gains more experience. He stays upright at the plate with a balanced swing and minimal movement and has both strong hands and solid bat speed. Using a leg kick, Burrowes stays through the ball and avoids over-swinging but needs to make more contact to cut down on strikeouts and put more balls in play. In 2023 he spent most of his time at shortstop where he’s at least an average defender with strong actions and above-average arm strength. He has the ability to make throws on the move. He could easily handle both second and third base in a utility role. A plus runner, Burrowes has stolen 12 bases in each of his two short-season campaigns, with impressive instincts on the bases.
The Future: Even though he’ll be just 19 for most of the next season, Burrowes could break camp with the Low-A Kannapolis squad. The fact that he’s bilingual will help him settle in outside the Rookie complex environment.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: In his first year back from Tommy John surgery, McDougal began showing signs of why the White Sox signed the Nevada high school product in 2021 for an over-slot $850,000 bonus. After pitching in just six Rookie-level games in his draft season and then sitting out all of 2022 after surgery, McDougal was back on the mound at Low-A Kannapolis for a full slate of 21 starts in 2023. He struck out 80 batters in 69.1 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .218 average.
Scouting Report: The arm and stuff are both there, but McDougal needs to become more consistent in all facets of pitching. His fastball averages 95 mph and touches 98-99. His curveball sits in the 79-82 mph range and has plus potential with two-plane break and significant depth and horizontal movement. McDougal’s third pitch is a hard changeup in the 88-90 mph range. He started working with a slider late in the 2023 season and will continue developing that fourth pitch when spring training rolls around. The White Sox staff worked with him to smooth out his mechanics during his rehab period. His delivery became much quieter and his head held a better line. He still has some issues repeating his arm slot and release point, which could inhibit his control.
The Future: McDougal has worked hard since joining the organization, including adding more than 40 pounds. He’s got a high ceiling but with plenty of development ahead. He’ll move up one level to High-A Winston-Salem in 2024, where he could spend the entire season.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The White Sox’ ninth-round pick in 2022 out of Arizona, Luna walked more than a batter an inning at Double-A Birmingham in 2023. In his return to the Southern League, Luna has cleaned up his delivery. Be repeating his mechanics better he’s found much more success.
Scouting Report: Luna has struggled to find a breaking ball to pair with his fastball and changeup. This year, he’s started to throw a splitter that gives hitters something else to worry about. At this point, it’s a fringe-average pitch, at best, but its presence makes his above-average fastball and average changeup more effective.
The Future: The Barons have the best ERA in Double-A, as the White Sox have poured a ton of prospects onto the roster and made it the team’s hope for the future. Luna has been one of the best relievers on that club and is a developmental success story.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Splitter: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Nick is the youngest brother of the McLain siblings, who also include 2021 first-round shortstop Matt and 2022 fifth-round shortstop Sean. Nick started his career at UCLA, like his eldest brother, but didn’t play in a game in 2022 and transferred to Arizona State in 2023 where he became the team’ s primary right fielder for the next two seasons and managed a 1.000+ OPS in each year. He hit .342/.457/.663 this spring with a career-high 12 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. McLain has dealt with hamate injuries that have limited him at times with Arizona State, but when healthy he’s shown an average hit tool and has a chance for average power as well. He’s got a strong arm that would suit him in right field, but he doesn’t have the typical right field build—he’s listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds—or raw power so he’s a bit of a tweener outfield prospect with average speed that probably won’t allow him to play center. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Saucke was a solid high school prospect back in 2021 thanks to a projectable frame and a loud combination of bat speed and raw power. He made it to campus at Virginia where he led the team in doubles as a freshman in 2022 and has been a consistent offensive presence in the middle of a consistently strong offensive lineup for three years. His 2024 junior season was his best yet, as the 6-foot-3, 210-pound outfielder and righthanded hitter slashed .344/.407/.578 with a career-high 14 homers.
Scouting Report: Saucke doesn’t have the most picturesque swing with a crouched setup, high handset and a medium leg kick but he can drive the ball with authority to both gaps and has above-average raw power. Saucke has been a bit strikeout prone at times in his career, but he made strides to cut the 28.6% mark he posted as a freshman into a more manageable 17-18% range in 2023 and 2024.
The Future: An infielder in high school, Saucke has mostly played right field with Virginia and profiles as a corner outfielder in pro ball thanks to fringe-average speed and stiffer movements in the outfield grass that would likely be stretched in center. He does have a plus arm that would fit nicely in right.
Scouting Grades:Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60. -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The MAC pitcher of the year in his final season at Ball State, Schweitzer was the White Sox fifth-round pick in 2022 and signed for a $325,000 bonus. He earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham with a strong start to the season at Winston-Salem and had no problems adjusting to the Southern League.
Scouting Report: Schweitzer takes the mound with a solid mix of four pitches that all grade as fringe-average to average. He commands his low-90s fastball, occasionally getting it into the mid-90s and showing good life up in the zone and plenty of spin. His breaking balls—a slider in the low 80s and a curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s—previously blended too much, but he has done a better job of differentiating the two pitches. He rounds out his arsenal with an average changeup at 82 mph, and he’s been working on getting more separation between the curveball and changeup. Scheweitzer has good pitchability and feel for throwing strikes and is described as having plenty of moxie when he’s on the mound.
The Future: Projected as a solid back of the rotation starter, Schweitzer is showing he can get more advanced hitters out. It’s not flashy stuff, but he’ll get the job done with his mostly average stuff playing up.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The White Sox added Hoopi-Tuionetoa in the May 2024 trade that sent Robbie Grossman back to the Rangers. A slow-moving, eighth-round pick in 2019, Hoopi-Tuionetoa didn’t reach Double-A until this season. But he’s been an impressive reliever this year in both the Texas and Southern Leagues.
Scouting Report: Hoopii-Tuionetoa attacks hitters with a an above-average fastball that sits 94-96 mph and touches 97, as well as an average 83-85 mph downer slider. He’ll also spot a mid-80s fringe-average changeup at times to lefthanded hitters. Hoopi-Tuionetoa’s control has improved and is now average.
The Future: Hoopi-Tuionetoa is an excellent pickup for an outfielder who wasn’t in Chicago’s long-term plans. He could help the White Sox pen as early as 2025.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The White Sox selected Adler in the sixth round in 2022 despite abysmal numbers in his final season at Wake Forest when he walked 25 and hit nine batters in 21.1 innings while fanning 37. A truer indication of his potential was seen in the summer of 2021 when he was one of the better relievers in the Cape Cod League, posting a 1.15 ERA and striking out 29 in 15.2 innings. His 2023 season started late due to a shoulder issue, and he reported to Low-A Kannapolis in early May that year. He pitched in 12 relief appearances there before moving back to the city in which he pitched in college with his next assignment at High-A Winston-Salem. Adler has earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham in 2024 as he continues to mix quality stuff with control issues.
Scouting Report: Adler has battled control issues throughout his career, but he’s quieted his delivery and is using his slider/cutter more often this year. His fastball sits 93-94 mph, touching 96, with high spin rates on his pitches. A downer curveball at 80 mph has tight spin and his power slider sits 86-90. The fastball/slider mix is especially tough against righthanded batters, registering high in-zone miss rates and opposing batting averages well under .200. He has a cross-fire delivery with a long arm stroke. The command and control issues surface when his hand is late coming out of the glove, and he gets behind and tries to catch up in his delivery.
The Future: Adler is a one-inning reliever all the way. If he can start throwing more consistent strikes, he could have a quick path to the big leagues.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: The signing of Hernandez in 2022 by the White Sox for just $30,000 almost looked like an afterthought, but the native Venezuelan is turning into an interesting catching prospect for an organization needing depth at the position. He has been a consistent hitter for Low-A Kannapolis this year.
Scouting Report: Lefthanded hitting catchers are always a valuable commodity, and Hernandez looks to have juice in his bat to go with strong intangibles. He’s relaxed at the plate with a wide base, making hard contact with gap-to-gap power and registering good exit velocities. He’s more hit-over-power now, but he could develop more over-the-fence pop with strength and experience. He recognizes spin, is adept at hitting breaking balls and uses all fields, hitting as many balls to left field as he did to right in 2023. Like any young catcher, he has a lot of work ahead of him, and he projects as an average defender with a below-average arm. He threw out 30% of runners attempting to steal in 2023, but his arm and the speed of his exchange need to improve, as he’s only thrown out 6.5% of baserunners so far in 2024.
The Future: Hernandez still has a lot of development ahead of him and is likely to move just one level at a time. But this has been a strong start to 2024, and it has him on a good path.
Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50 | Power: 40 | Speed: 40 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 40
Draft Prospects
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Jekielek is a 6-foot, 185-pound senior reliever who has spent four years pitching out of the bullpen for Northwood (Mich.). He’s a straight reliever prospect who throws from an entirely sidearm—and at times submarine—arm slot and pounds the zone with his fastball, though the pitch sits in the upper 80s and will get into the low 90s at peak. He throws both an upper-70s slider and upper-70s changeup but the breaking ball is his primary secondary offering and one that will likely be better in right-on-right matchups in pro ball. -
One of the best players in the history of Transylvania (Pa.) where he set numerous single season and career records for the Pioneers, Youngblood is a standout athlete with plus speed that helps drive his impact on both sides of the ball. Youngblood was a shortstop in college, but many teams like Youngblood as a potential center fielder long term. He has advanced plate skills and strong bat-to-ball ability that plays up due to his plus speed. He’s a one-time two-way player who focused on being a position player later in his college career. -
David was a notable prep pitching prospect in the 2019 class who flashed a four-pitch arsenal and solid command. He was drafted by the D’backs in the 35th round but didn’t sign. He’s now a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder, David pitched as a starter and reliever at Southeastern this spring and posted a 1.50 ERA in 61.1 innings with 87 strikeouts to 26 walks. Following the spring he made three solid starts in the Cape Cod League. David has excellent arm speed and sits in the 94-96 mph range with his fastball. He’s been up to 98 with the pitch this year and pairs it with a tight biting slider in the mid 80s. He also throws a diving, upper-80s changeup at times but it’s a distinct third offering. -
Kroeger is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound righthander who’s old for the class and will already be 24 on draft day. He spent five years with Maryville as a starter and reliever and had his best season this spring when he posted a 3.18 ERA over 90.2 innings and 16 starts with 117 strikeouts and 32 walks. Kroeger is a fastball-dominant pitcher who used his 88-91 mph fastball more than 60% of the time this spring, though he’s also shown some feel for a mid-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup that he consistently puts on the arm-side rail of the plate. -
Rodriguez is a 6-foot-6, 223-pound righthander with a large frame who posted a 5.45 ERA in 69.1 innings and 12 starts for Cal State Fullerton this spring. After the season he pitched in the MLB Draft League—mostly as a reliever—and struck out 45 batters in 39 innings. He has a four-pitch mix including a 90-94 mph fastball, a pair of high-spin breaking balls including a low-80s slider and mid-70s curveball and a low-80s changeup. -
Pooser this spring emerged as Kentucky’s best starter after transferring from Charleston. He was especially good in the postseason, as he threw three quality starts to help lead the Wildcats to the College World Series for the first time in program history. Listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he has a good build and stands out for his pitchability. His fastball works in the low 90s and has a good feel for his changeup. He needs to improve his breaking ball as he moves into pro ball. -
Dorchies is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound righthander with a low arm slot who’s committed to Illinois-Chicago. Dorchies pops in age based models due to being a young draft eligible high school player. He’s a projectible pitcher with plenty of room for further physical growth. Dorchies mixes two pitches with a four-seam 88-92 mph fastball and a 77-79 mph slider. Dorchies shows solid athleticism with excellent extension in his fastball. Although he has room to add velocity he also needs to improve his control. -
After solid sophomore and junior campaigns Delossantos broke out in 2024 hitting .330/.431/.584. Delossantos has fringe bat-to-ball skills but significantly improved his swing decisions heading into 2024. He shows impact due to above-average bat speed and projects to hit for power. He’s a below-average defender in centerfield that’s a better fit for a corner outfield role long term. -
Costello is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound third baseman and outfielder who has spent four seasons with San Diego as a contact-oriented hitter. He owns a career .298/.373/.481 slash line with 24 home runs—never more than eight in a single season—and minimizes his strikeouts. Costello is more of a doubles hitter who might not have the power to profile at third base or left field, so either adding more power or improving his defensive profile will be keys for him in pro ball. Most of his power goes to the pull side now, but he does own an impressive 91% career in-zone contact rate, which is a hard skill to teach. -
Nicholson this spring tied Kentucky’s single-season home run record, as he hit 23 homers and helped the Wildcats reach the College World Series for the first time in program history. The lefthanded hitter has a pretty good feel at the plate but stands out most for his power. As a fifth-year collegian, Nicholson is nearly 24 years old on draft day and is limited to first base, where he’s a solid defender. -
Madron is a 5-foot-8, 180-pound outfielder who played two seasons with Cowley (Kan.) JC before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. With the Sooners, Madron hit over .300 in back-to-back seasons with 12 home runs and more walks than strikeouts in both years. He’s a career .319/.459/.593 hitter with Oklahoma and owns a 11.5% strikeout rate and 18.3% walk rate. Unsurprisingly, Madron has a keen eye at the plate and doesn’t often expand out of the zone. He had a 17% chase rate this spring, though he does lack power and probably isn’t expected to be a consistent double-digit home run hitter in pro ball with a wood bat. That could add pressure to his defensive profile, as he’s mostly spent time in the corners for Oklahoma. -
Johnson is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior righthander who has started at least 10 games for four straight seasons at UMBC. This spring he posted a 4.82 ERA over 80.1 innings and 14 starts with a 23.3% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. After the season he also pitched well in a brief, two-start stint in the MLB Draft League. Johnson has a light fastball that sits in the upper 80s and will touch 91-92, but the pitch does have above-average riding life. He pairs it with a slow changeup in the mid 70s and spins an occasional slider in the low-80s. -
McConnell was suspended nearly all of 2023 for a violation of team rules but stormed back in 2024 to lead La Tech in nearly every offensive category and earn first-team all-Conference USA honors. The lefthanded hitter has solid power and has an impressive track record in college. There’s a decent bit of swing-and-miss in his game, however, and he’ll have to reduce that as he faces better pitching in pro ball. -
Jameson this spring became one of Florida’s most trusted pitchers and led the team in appearances (34). Listed at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he throws from an over-the-top arm slot that makes for a tough angle. His fastball mostly works around 93-94 mph, but his best pitch is his slider, which creates above-average whiff rates. His best role is working out of the bullpen and letting that slider work. -
Ackenhausen was a key piece of the LSU bullpen the last two years after transferring from junior college. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2, 256 pounds and mostly worked in a multi-inning role. His stuff isn’t overpowering, as his fastball mostly works in the low 90s. His slider is his primary offspeed offering, but he also can mix in a changeup. His control needs some refinement, but he could develop into a bullpen option. -
Leary spent four seasons at Boston College, hitting .272/.441/.560 with 15 home runs, 53 walks and 60 strikeouts in 53 games as a senior in 2024. He’s a three true outcomes player with a patient approach, plus or better raw power and a high amount of swing-and-miss. Leary doesn’t expand the strike zone often, so he will take his walks, and if pitchers make a mistake, he can drive it out to any part of the field. The key for Leary will be learning to make more contact. He sets up with an open stance and often bails out with his swing, leaving him with holes and a lot of whiffs at pitches in the strike zone. Leary has some experience in center field, but he projects as a corner outfielder in pro ball. -
In his second season at Arkansas after transferring from junior college, McLaughlin this season took over as the Razorbacks starting first baseman. The lefthanded hitter showed average power and excellent plate discipline, drawing 50 walks against 30 strikeouts in 60 games. He offers some defensive versatility in the corners but profiles best at first base. -
Smith is a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander and redshirt sophomore who missed the 2023 season but pitched mostly as a reliever this spring for Illinois-Chicago. He posted a 4.63 ERA over 35 innings with a 27.8% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. Smith is primarily a fastball/slider pitcher who sits in the low 90s and will touch 97 mph, but he does throw the pitch with a flat approach angle and with above-average riding life. His low-80s short-breaking slider is his most consistent swing-and-miss pitch and he will flash an occasional low-80s changeup to lefties. -
Hackman is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound righthander who spent his first two seasons with Loyola Marymount as a reliever, and the last two as a starter. This spring he posted a 3.69 ERA over 75.2 innings and 13 starts with a 27.2% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. Hackman throws a four-pitch mix that includes a 90-94 mph fastball, a tight mid-80s slider, a harder downer curveball in the low-80s and a mid-80s changeup. -
Crowder is a 6-foot-4 225-pound senior righthander who began his career out of the bullpen at Illinois but pitched as a full-time starter this spring. He posted a 4.88 ERA over 90.1 innings and 16 starts with a 20.4% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate. While he’s never been a huge strikeout machine, Crowder has solid stuff including a fastball that averaged 93 mph and touched 98, a low-to-mid-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup. -
Doktorczyk is a physical 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander who was name to the All-Mountain West first team this spring after he posted a 3.95 ERA over 84.1 innings and 13 starts with 91 strikeouts and 22 walks. Doktorczyk has a long track record as an advanced strike-thrower and this spring landed his 89-91 mph fastball and upper-70s slider in the zone about 70% of the time. He mostly works off the fastball/slider combo but will occasionally drop in a changeup around 80. -
Holcombe ranked as a top-200 pitcher in the 2022 class out of Northeast Mississippi JC thanks to his huge frame and a fastball up to 99 mph, but he instead went to Mississippi State. He struggled in the SEC for two seasons and posted a 9.05 ERA over 57.2 innings (mostly out of the bullpen) and also struggled in the New England Collegiate League this summer. He has power stuff, including a fastball that sits 94 and gets into the upper 90s, a mid-80s slider and a firm upper-90s changeup. Holcombe’s stuff and size, at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, is tantalizing but he needs plenty of refinement as a pitcher. -
Tobias was mostly a shortstop until the last couple years, when he started working more on the mound. He took off as a pitcher and emerged as one of the top prep players in Indiana. A bit undersized at a listed 6-foot, 185 pounds, Tobias has a fast arm and is a good athlete. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he mixes in a slider and changeup. While he doesn’t yet have an out-pitch, it’s easy to dream on him and believe that he’ll be able to make a jump as he gets stronger and more experience on the mound. -
Butler is a 6-foot-6, 193-pound righthander with a high-waisted, lanky frame who has plenty of room to add mass and strength. In his sophomore season with Polk State (Fla.) JC this spring Butler posted a 3.34 ERA over 64.2 innings and 11 starts with a team-high 70 strikeouts and just 11 walks. He can get his fastball into the low 90s and throws an 11-to-5 curveball with solid depth in the upper 70s as his go-to secondary pitch. Butler is committed to Florida State. -
Evans spent his freshman campaign at Niagara County CC (NY) before transferring to Lenoir Rhyne for his sophomore season. He spent two seasons with Bears hitting .321/.400/.591 with a career high 11 home runs as a junior. Standing 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Evans’ projection and athleticism make him a useful day two pick. He’s a contact first hitter with fringe bat speed and is likely to move off of shortstop to second base over the long term. His contact skills and larger frame gives hope that he could progress into an average power hitter in the future. -
McCrystal is a 6-foot-2, 215-pound catcher and designated hitter who has flashed solid tools as a catcher with ECU but also battled some back issues. He put together a career-year in 2024 when he slashed .327/.389/.500 with six home runs, and he also had a pair of tremendous summers in the wood bat Appalachian League in 2022 and 2023. McCrystal can be an aggressive hitter who will expand the zone frequently, but for a team bullish on his odds to catch at the next level he could be a nice day three target. -
Zielinski spent two seasons with Northeast (Neb.) JC before transferring to Illinois-Chicago for the 2023 season. Zielinski hit .363/.449/.583 with 8 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 2024, and was chosen as first team all-Missouri Valley Conference. Zielinski shows average plate skills and below-average raw power with a knack for finding the barrel. Zielinski has a chance to stick at shortstop due to strong actions and a good internal clock. He projects as a utility infielder that can provide depth in the upper minors. -
Ross spent two seasons at Pasco-Hernando State (Fla.) JC before transferring to Florida Atlantic and then Ole Miss for the 2024 season. With the Rebels this spring the 6-foot-2, 210-pound infielder and outfielder hit .280/.438/.492 with more walks than strikeouts. Despite his size, Ross stands out more for his swing decisions than power. He rarely expands the zone, but that could also be a function of an overly passive approach that might get more exposed against professional pitching. He swung just 30% of the time this spring in the SEC which is lower than the most passive big league hitters. -
Hopfe is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound first baseman and righthanded pitcher who has played both ways for four seasons with Fresno State. He’s a career .329/.408/.536 hitter who makes plenty of contact in the zone and hits the ball hard, though his swing decisions are overly aggressive and he puts the ball on the ground too much to fully take advantage of his power. Hopfe is a first baseman and corner outfielder and might profile best at first base at the next level. He’s pitched as a reliever and throws a 90-94 mph fastball and mid-80s slider/cutter with solid control. -
Susac is the cousin of former Athletics first rounder Daniel Susac and former major leaguer Andrew Susac. Standing 6-foot-3 and 215 lbs, Susac moved between the starting rotation and bullpen as a junior at Arizona. Susac mixes a four-seam fastball at 93-94 mph with ride and good extension, a slider in the mid-80s that’s viewed as his best pitch, a changeup and a curveball. His above-average extension and slider make him a useful pick as a reliever. -
After two seasons at Maryland, Garnett transferred to William & Mary for 2024. He’s a physical lefthander with limited projection remaining and below-average athleticism. Garnett mixes a sinker, sweeping slider and a cutter. His fastball sits low-90s but he can ramp it up to 96-97 mph. The pitch is currently held back due to poor command. Garnett’s slider is below-average and will often dip into the 70s with limited feel for the pitch. His best pitch is an upper-80s cutter that some scouts believe could be a plus pitch at peak. -
Howard is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound righthander and draft eligible sophomore who has been a reliable strike-thrower for Radford for two seasons. This spring he posted a 4.78 ERA over 69.2 innings and 14 starts with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. Howard has a deep pitch mix that includes a low-90s fastball he lands for strikes at a high rate, as well as a mid-80s cutter, low-80s slider, upper-70s curveball and low-80s changeup. -
Samuels is a lanky righthander with a 6-foot-4, 170-pound frame that has plenty of room for more weight and took a step forward with his control during his 2024 senior season with D-II Montevallo (Ala.). He posted a 5.88 ERA over 59.2 innings and 12 starts with 69 strikeouts and just 12 walks. Samuels will pitch in the low 90s and top out around 94 and he showed solid feel to land three secondaries including a mid-70s curve that was his primary secondary pitch, a changeup in the upper 70s and a slider around 80. -
Tuniak is a 6-foot, 185-pound lefthanded-hitting outfielder who is committed to Notre Dame. Tunink was a less heralded player on the showcase circuit but impressed teams with his plus athleticism and projectable traits. He has the plus speed and range for center field and evaluators believe that he can add power in the coming years with some believing he could get to above-average power at his peak. Tunink has questions around the hit tool due to a lack of exposure to high level prep competition. He’s appealing to teams that covet athleticism. -
Tuft is a 6-foot-3, 206-pound catcher and righthanded hitter with tons of athleticism and standout physical tools. He’s a plus runner who also has plus arm strength and might grow into above-average raw power as well. Tuft started his career at Virginia where he caught and played outfield, then transferred to Tulane for the 2024 season where he hit .279/.437/.509 with 12 home runs and 13 stolen bases. There’s a bit of swing and miss in his game that might prevent him from accessing all of his power, and he also struggled in multiple stints in the Cape Cod League. -
Hall is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound righthander who over the course of the last two seasons at Oral Roberts established an impressive track record of performance. This spring Hall pitched his way to a 4.12 ERA with a career-high 110 strikeouts to just 21 walks across 107 innings. A pitchability over stuff arm, Hall is an advanced strike-thrower who features a low-90s fastball, a low-to-mid-80s changeup that flashes late tumble and a high-70s curveball that takes on an 11-to-5 shape with some teeth. -
Riley is a 6-foot, 201-pound righthander who finished his career with VMI as the leader in strikeouts per nine innings, and this spring posted a 6.78 ERA over 78.1 innings and 14 stars with a 23.4% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. While Riley’s peripherals throughout his career are solid, he gets hit around too much and doesn’t miss many bats with a fastball that sits 92-94 mph and touches 97. He instead relies on a mid-80s slider, upper-80s cutter and mid-80s changeup to avoid barrels though he’ll need to maintain his command and perhaps find a tweaked fastball shape to succeed in pro ball. -
Wilson is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound switch-hitting outfielder who might be limited to left field but has a great feel for hitting. In his four years with Grand Canyon Wilson is a .332/.403/.516 hitter who doesn’t strike out often, and had a power surge during his 2024 season when he hit a career-best 17 home runs. He might be able to play first base as well which could give him a bit of defensive versatility, but he’s definitely a corner profile who will need to continue hitting for power at the next level. Wilson is the son of Steve Wilson, who pitched six seasons in the majors and is now a scout with the Yankees. -
Wissman is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior reliever who has been a reliable, control-oriented submarine reliever for his last three seasons with Dayton. He managed a career 2.94 ERA over 119.1 innings with a 21.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate. Wissman pitches in the mid-to-upper 80s with his fastball but his uniquely low slot and arm-side run on the pitch has allowed him to generate plenty of weak ground balls. He pairs the fastball with a slow and loopy slider in the mid 70s. Wissman is entirely reliant on command and deception but could create an uncomfortable at-bat out of the pen in pro ball. -
Regis is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound lefthander who has a four-year track record of racking up strikeouts out of the bullpen with D-II Regis. This spring he posted a 3.96 ERA over 36.1 innings with 58 strikeouts and just 13 walks, then went to the MLB Draft League in the summer where he managed an 18:3 strikeout-to-walk rate in 11 innings. He generates lots of swing-and-miss with his low-90s fastball, perhaps thanks in part to the deception created by a heavy cross-firing delivery, and throws both a low-80s slider and occasional low-80s changeup. -
A 6-foot-3, 222-pound righthander, Lambert has some of the most impressive arm strength in the class. He is a low-mileage arm and has logged just 56 innings—including 21 this spring—since the summer of 2022. Lambert’s calling card is his thunderous fastball, which sits in the mid-to-upper-90s but has been up to 102 with ample riding life through the zone. He pairs it with a power sweeping slider that is a bit of a work in progress. -
Conte is a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior righthander who has pitched sparingly for Duke over the last four seasons. He only totaled 18.1 career innings with the program and missed the 2023 season entirely with injury. He did pitch well in the New England Collegiate League before the draft with a 24:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 11.1 innings. Conte pitches off a 90-mph cutter and also works in a mid-80s slider and fastball that averaged 96 and touched 98 in limited time on the mound this spring. -
Craig is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior lefthanded reliever who uses a low three-quarters arm slot and had a career year in 2024 when he took a huge step forward with his strikeouts. He posted a 2.13 ERA over 55 innings out of the pen for UNC Wilmington with a career-best 33.5% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate. Craig is a sinker/slider pitcher who sits around 91-93 mph with his fastball and will touch 95 while mixing in a sweepy low-80s slider against both lefties and righties as his primary secondary. -
Sears took off in 2024, his second season at Nebraska after transferring from junior college. After working sparingly out of the bullpen in 2023, this spring he emerged as the Cornhuskers’ top starter and earned All-America honors after going 9-1, 2.16 in 104 innings. He stands out for his control and pitchability. His fastball can reach 95 mph, but it typically sits around 91. He throws both a big curveball and a short, low-80s slider, which is his best secondary offering. He also mixes in a changeup. -
Dorsey was drafted in the 17th round by the Rangers in 2022 after his freshman season at Gulf Coast State (Fla.) JC, but opted to stay in school. He eventually transferred to Florida State, where he this spring was pushed into the rotation mid-year after a series of injuries for the Seminoles. He ran with that opportunity and pitched especially well in the NCAA Tournament, going 3-0, 2.14 in three starts. His fastball sits in the low 90s and its life helps it play up. He mixes in a changeup, a big curveball and a cutter. At his best, he pounds the strike zone with his full arsenal and keeps hitters off balance. -
Wietgrefe spent a season with North Iowa Area JC in 2022 before transferring to Minnesota where he was a reliable reliever in 2023 and then successful starter as a junior in 2024. A 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefthander, Wietgrefe posted a 2.88 ERA over 78 innings and 13 starts this spring with a 21.5% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. After the season he pitched with Bourne in the Cape Cod League where he struck out 12 batters and walked just one in his first two starts. Wietgrefe throws from a low three-quarters slot and has a four-pitch mix, though he mostly works off his fastball/slider combination. He sits in the low 90s and touches 95 with his sinking fastball and generates a lot of spin on his low-80s sweeping slider. The slider is Wietgrefe’s best swing-and-miss pitch, but he also has an upper-80s cutter and mid-80s changeup. -
Powell is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound shortstop who was one of the most impressive performers among any junior college hitter this spring. He was second in hitting with a .502 average and led all D-I junior college hitters with 104 RBIs, 32 home runs and a 1.088 slugging percentage. He was named the D-I junior college player of the year for his efforts. He could outgrow shortstop and if he doesn’t he’ll need to improve his actions and first step. -
Parker is a 5-foot-9, 200-pound catcher and righthanded hitter who has done nothing but perform for two seasons and change with UC Santa Barbara. He only played in 11 games as a freshman in 2022, but is a career .351/.437/.592 hitter who managed double-digit homers in each of the last two seasons. Parker has contact questions and expands the zone a bit too frequently, but he generates big exit velocities and homers to the pull side with a high-maintenance swing that includes a huge leg kick and aggressive righty swing with lots of bat speed. Behind the plate he threw out 12-of-26 (46.2%) basestealers this spring. -
Aita is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander and draft-eligible sophomore who pitched out of the bullpen for Kennesaw State in 2023 but made a successful transition to the starting rotation this spring. He posted a 3.90 ERA over 85.1 innings and 16 starts with 84 strikeouts and 28 walks. Aita throws a fastball in the low 90s and touches 95 with a breaking ball in the 78-82 mph range that is near average and a fringy mid-80s cutter. He also pitched out of the bullpen for Yarmouth-Dennis in the 2023 Cape Cod League. Aita’s pitch mix is fringy to average across the board with no clear out pitch and he could also refine his command a bit more to stick in a starter role as a pro -
Kross is a 6-foot-2, 226-pound catcher and first baseman who began his career as a walk on at Eastern Michigan. He was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 2023 after hitting .376 with 15 home runs, then transferred to Cincinnati where he made the All-Big 12 first team after hitting .317/.438/.638 with 19 home runs and 14 doubles. After the season he also hit well in 11 games in the New England Collegiate League. Kross has plenty of strength, bat speed and all-fields power and could be an exciting righthanded bat in pro ball if he can stick at catcher. -
Roberts is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound outfielder and lefthanded hitter who started his career at Utah as an infielder and outfielder, but became a primary outfielder in his final two seasons and the team’s everyday center fielder in 2024 as a senior. He had a career offensive season this spring and hit .356/.430/.562 with seven home runs and 33 stolen bases. He’s a plus-plus runner and slasher type hitter in the box who might have a chance to develop into an average defender in center field despite a below-average arm. Roberts is the son of Ryan Roberts, who was drafted in the 42nd round of the 1996 draft by the Cardinals. -
Combs is a 6-foot-3, 203-pound righthander who began his career at Coastal Carolina but didn’t pitch there because of an injury. He then spent the 2022 season with Central Florida JC before transferring to Tennessee for the 2023 and 2024 seasons where he pitched out of the bullpen and posted a 3.24 ERA over 66.2 innings with a 36.8% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. He sits in the low 90s and will touch 95 with the fastball but uses his sweepy upper-70s breaking ball at a high clip. It’s a high spin offering that features both horizontal break and depth. -
Fox is a smaller 5-foot-9, 183-pound righthander who had Tommy John surgery in 2022, then returned to pitch for Gardner-Webb in 2023 before transferring to Pittsburgh in 2024, where he pitched well out of the bullpen with a 1.47 ERA and a 45-3 K-BB mark in 36.2 innings. It’s an extremely fastball-heavy approach—he often threw 90% fastballs in his outings—with a heater that sits in the low-90s and touches 95 mph. Fox sinks into his legs in his delivery, producing a low release height with a fastball that he uses to attack hitters up in the zone and throws strikes at a high clip with that pitch. Fox does show some feel to spin a low-80s slider and at times will get good fade on his 82-85 mph changeup, with the slider the more promising pitch, but he will have to bring along his secondary stuff and use them more often to have success in pro ball. -
Cranz is a 6-foot-3, 207-pound righthanded reliever who posted a 1.63 ERA with 59 strikeouts to just 12 walks in 49.2 innings. Cranz features a dynamic one-two punch in the form of a low-to-mid-90s fastball that averaged almost 22 inches of ride and a sharp mid-80s slider that routinely flashed two-plane break and generated a 49% miss rate. He could move quickly in a bullpen role thanks to his loud two-pitch mix and solid control. -
Smith is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound outfielder with bat-to-ball skills and speed. He had a breakout offensive season this spring with UC Irvine when he hit .401/.533/.637 with 10 home runs and 13 doubles. It was the first time he hit more than a single home run in a season, though scouts view him as a contact bat in pro ball who will have minimal power. He doesn’t expand the zone, walks more than strikes out and made contact at an 85% rate this spring. He fits best in either left or right thanks to a below-average arm and his father, Ira, was two-time NCAA batting leader who was a career .431 hitter with Maryland Eastern Shore. -
Watson is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound righthander who has an intriguing combination of strikes and stuff. He split time this spring between the bullpen and rotation, but will get the chance to prove himself as a starter professionally. Watson’s fastball sits 92-95, but has been up to 97 with life through the zone. His tight slider flashes more sweep than depth and is his best secondary offering, though his changeup flashes above-average and is an effective third weapon against lefthanded hitters. -
Layton is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound shortstop and switch hitter who stands out for his speed and quick-twitch athleticism. He has solid bat speed from both sides of the plate but is largely unproven as a hitter against some of the top competition in the class, so expectations about his hit tool could vary widely from team to team. A shortstop now, Layton might have to move to second base at the next level. He’s committed to Southern Mississippi. -
Fien is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound switch-hitting catcher who stands out for his great frame and raw power. He has a chance to be an above-average power hitter in the future with more refinement as a pure hitter. Defensively, scouts are mixed about where he’ll wind up. Some believe he will need to slide to first base, while others think he can receive and block enough for the position despite a below-average arm. He’s committed to UCLA. -
Garcia is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound righthander who spent 2024 as Florida Gulf Coast’s Friday starter and pitched his way to a 3.03 ERA with 71 strikeouts to 20 walks in 59.1 innings. Garcia is almost exclusively a fastball-slider guy, but it is an intriguing one-two punch. His fastball has been up to 98 and averaged almost 21 inches of ride, an offering he pairs with an average slider that both flashes two-plane tilt and worked a 40% miss rate this spring. Garcia is an advanced strike thrower, but the continued development of a third pitch will be key. -
McDowell has a physical 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame and put up a video game-like slash line this spring of .442/.565/.902 with 16 doubles, 27 home runs and 77 RBIs. McDowell has plus raw power and plenty of arm strength, but there is a chance he’ll need to eventually move to first base defensively. -
Thanks to his extra-lengthy 6-foot-11 frame, Olejnik is a bit of a unicorn. After logging just 3.2 innings last spring at Oklahoma, Olejnik broke out this spring to the tune of a 4.76 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 64.1 innings. He carried the momentum he built this spring into the Draft League, where he posted a 2.08 ERA with 32 strikeouts across 21.2 innings. Olejnik relies heavily on his fastball-slider combination, and for good reason. Though it sits in the low-90s (touching 95), his heater plays up thanks to its riding life and the extension he’s able to get. His best secondary weapon is a low-to-mid-80s gyro slider that garnered a 37% whiff rate this spring. -
Welch is a compact, yet physical 6-foot, 200-pound righthander who posted a 4.65 ERA with 88 strikeouts to 24 walks across 89 innings this spring. An advanced strike-thrower, Welch has a five-pitch mix that includes a low-90s fastball, a high-80s cutter, a low-80s slider, a mid-70s curveball and a seldom-used low-80s changeup. Both his slider and cutter this spring generated whiff rates north of 30%, and he projects as a back end, innings-eating starter. -
Appel is a 6-foot, 200-pound catcher who has shown impressive bat-to-ball skills throughout his college career. He spent three seasons with Pennsylvania before transferring to Texas A&M for the 2024 season, where he hit .331/.422/.534 with 10 home runs and more walks than strikeouts. Appel’s contact skills and ability to avoid strikeouts are his carrying tool. He made contact at an 88% clip this spring and had a 91% in-zone contact rate. He threw out 11-of-24 (45.8%) basestealers this spring as Texas A&M’s everyday catcher. -
Romeo is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander with a lean, athletic frame and background as a multi-sport athlete and basketball player. He throws from a simple, repeatable delivery that features a balanced finish and a high three-quarters slot. His fastball sits in the low 90s and has been up to 94-95, his slider has added power and is now in the low-to-mid-80s and he’ll also mix in a changeup around 80. Romeo’s control needs improvement but his delivery and athleticism could bode well for that development in the future. -
Holobetz is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander who started his career at Radford, before spending the 2023 and 2024 seasons with Old Dominion. He’s primarily pitched out of the bullpen and throws a 90-95 mph fastball, mid-80s changeup and 82-86 mph slider. Scouts believe the changeup is his best pitch, a potential weapon, but his breaking ball is more of a work in progress. Despite his reliever history, he throws enough strikes to potentially start in pro ball and owns a career 7.5% walk rate. -
Penney is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound infielder who has spent time at second base, third base and shortstop for Notre Dame, but slid into the team’s regular shortstop job as a junior in 2024. He slashed .264/.402/.487 through 52 games with nine home runs, 11 doubles, a 13.9% strikeout rate and a 16% walk rate. While his junior season was his first with more walks than strikeouts, Penney has always shown sound swing decisions and zone control and also hit well in a 42-game stint with Orleans in the Cape Cod League in 2023. He could provide value as a utility infield type with on-base skills on the third day of the draft. -
Armas is a 6-foot, 185-pound catcher who stands out for his catch-and-throw skills behind the plate. He’s a hyper-mobile athlete with impressive actions behind the dish and a chance to be an above-average defender. This spring with San Diego Armas threw out 15-of-32 (46.9%) basestealers. His offensive game is a bit lighter and he’s a career .266/.372/.390 hitter over three seasons with just nine total home runs, but scouts do think he has solid pure contact skills. -
Diaz is a 6-foot, 205-pound infielder who has spent time at first base, second base and shortstop for Indiana State and put together a career-year in 2024 with a .360/.437/.632 slash line and 18 home runs. He makes a lot of contact, especially inside the zone, and some scouts believed he had a chance to be a catcher-conversion candidate in pro ball. -
A transfer from Tallahassee Community College, Dinges is a 6-foot 190-pounder who was almost exclusively a designated hitter this spring for Florida State. There is no shortage of strength and physicality with Dinges, and this spring he hit .323/.415/.583 with 29 extra-base hits—including 15 home runs—and 69 RBIs. Dinges has plenty of bat speed and at least above-average raw power, and he routinely flashed his ability to drive the ball with authority to all fields. Dinges has caught in the past, but some scouts question whether that can be a long-term home. He should also be able to handle a corner outfield spot. -
Hightower is a 6-foot, 180-pound shortstop who was a pop-up player late in the season in North Carolina. He’s an athletic middle infielder who might not have a plus tool at the moment, but he has solid bat speed from the right side with some solid raw power in the tank as well. He could provide utility value around the infield if he doesn’t develop into a regular everyday shortstop. Hightower is committed to North Carolina and on the older end for the class. -
Toetz is a 5-foot-11, 203-pound outfielder and second baseman who played with Indiana and Purdue before spending the 2024 season with Georgia as the team’s primary left fielder. Toetz hit .348/.448/.543 with five home runs and 10 doubles. He was a strong fastball hitter and did most of his extra-base damage against that pitch type but comes with production and contact questions vs. breaking balls. He played second base for Indiana and Purdue but both corner outfield positions for Georgia. -
Stuart is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound second baseman who spent four seasons at Northwestern State before transferring to Memphis in 2024. He had a career year this spring and hit .326/.430/.533 with eight home runs, 16 doubles and nearly as many walks as strikeouts. This season Stuart was a contact hitter who doesn’t often miss a fastball, but he could have some untapped power potential with solid bat speed, strength and intriguing top-end exit velocity numbers. -
Benson is a 6-foot, 190-pound outfielder who didn’t play at all in 2021 but has steadily improved in each of his next three seasons with Louisville, culminating in a career-best season in 2024. He slashed .302/.438/.525 with nine home runs and as many walks as strikeouts as the team’s primary left fielder. Benson is mostly a contact hitter whose power almost exclusively played to the pull side, though he led the ACC with 34 stolen bases and has gone 51-for-61 (83.6%) on the bases during his career. -
Milazzo is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound catcher who has a light bat, but has done enough defensively to become a key piece of a talented LSU lineup over the last four seasons. He became the team’s everyday catcher as a sophomore in 2021 despite hitting under .200 in each of his first two seasons with LSU. He was limited by a knee injury in 2022 but showed a pesky offensive approach in 2023 and 2024 that made him less of an automatic out in the lineup. Milazzo receives well and has thrown out 31-of-94 (33.0%) of basestealers over his career with a quick exchange that helps a solid arm play up. -
Jordan is a 6-foot-3, 238-pound righthanded hitter who spent time at first base, right field, catcher, left field and DH this spring with Georgia. He played two seasons each with Iowa Western JC and Campbell before moving to Georgia in 2024 where he slashed .241/.425/.430 with four home runs in 32 games. Jordan has real contact questions against secondaries but his on-base ability and impressive raw power and top-end exit velocities could be appealing for teams who are targeting senior signs. -
A 6-foot-2, 205-pound catcher, first baseman and outfielder, Summerhill broke Northern Illinois’ single-season home run record this spring when he hit 19 and slashed .290/.395/.625 while walking as often as he struck out. His blend of bat-to-ball skill, on-base ability and top-end exit velocity data is some of the most compelling of all senior catchers in the country. Against fastballs only, Summerhill managed a 93% overall contact rate this spring. -
Berg is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound catcher who had the best offensive season of his career with Army in 2024 in the same season he was also named the defensive player of the year in the Patriot League. He slashed .290/.404/.605 and homered a career-high 16 times with a 21.4% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate. Berg is an aggressive hitter who has some swing-and-miss questions, but his pull-side power could be appealing for teams when paired with his defensive profile behind the dish. -
Ruta has a case as one of the best run producers in Army history after his four years with the program. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound third baseman, he finished his career as a .310/.426/.526 hitter with 40 home runs and 52 doubles—first in program history in homers, total bases and RBIs. Ruta has solid power but has always stood out for his patient approach at the plate and ends his career with a 15.1% walk rate—including a 20.8% mark in 2024. -
McDowell is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound outfielder and Canadian native who struggled with the bat in his first three seasons with Oregon State but took a step forward in 2023 and continued that progress into 2024. He cut his strikeout rate significantly in 2023 and hit well above .300 in each of the last two seasons with a .382/.485/.632 slash line in 2024 with six home runs and a career-best 15.3% walk rate. McDowell hammered fastballs this spring and hit over .400 against that pitch type, and in general showed solid contact skills, swing decisions and batted ball data, though he’s never homered more than seven times in a single season. -
Eike is a 6-foot, 220-pound third baseman who spent two years at North Carolina where he barely played before transferring to VCU for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. At VCU Eike became the team’s every day third baseman and showed a solid blend of average, patience and power. He slashed .378/.470/.661 this spring and homered 14 times with 27 doubles, a 15% strikeout rate and a 13.3% walk rate. Eike can get overly aggressive at times, but his in-zone contact rates and top-end exit velocity numbers were impressive this spring. He showed a solid ability to homer to both gaps and has also hit well in multiple summers in the Coastal Plain League with a wood bat. -
Poston is a 6-foot-4, 235-pound righthander who spent two seasons with Florence-Darlington (S.C.) JC before transferring to UNC and pitching well out of the bullpen for two seasons. This spring he posted a 5.12 ERA over 38.2 innings with a 28.7% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate. He throws his 93-mph fastball nearly 80% of the time and the pitch will touch 97 mph at peak velocity with solid riding life. Poston’s go-to secondary is a mid-80s changeup that he does a nice job killing spin with and features late tumbling action. He seems to struggle to spin the baseball and almost never throws a breaking pitch. -
Burns is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound righthander who in 2024 broke Western Kentucky’s saves record when he finished second in the country with 15 in 28 appearances. He posted a 4.00 ERA over 36 innings with a 31.1% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate and has been a lockdown reliever for the team after pitching only a handful of times for Illinois State in 2021-2022. Burns averaged 93 mph with his fastball this spring and will touch 97 with the pitch, while pairing it with an 81-85 mph slider with short biting action that helped him miss plenty of bats. -
Barrett is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound righthander who took a step forward with his control this spring and posted a 4.78 ERA over 43.1 innings with a 30.4% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. He averaged 93 mph with a fastball that will touch 97 at peak velocity and threw the pitch for strikes about 70% of the time this spring. Barrett also has a mid-80s changeup, a low-80s slider and a mid-70s curveball. Barrett also pitched in the New England Collegiate League during the 2023 summer where he showed better control than his previous three college seasons. -
Rossi has been a high-usage reliever for UNC Charlotte for multiple seasons, both in 2022 and 2024 after missing the 2023 campaign thanks to injury. This spring he posted a 5.52 ERA over 44 innings with a 32.1% strikeout rate and 16% walk rate. He’s an effectively wild sort of reliever with big arm talent and shaky control. Rossi averaged 95 mph with a fastball that has touched 97 and features armside running life. He also has a pair of swing-and-miss secondaries between a high-spin slider in the mid 80s that features nearly 15 inches of horizontal break and a firm upper-80s changeup. Between his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame and pitch mix there’s some upside here if he can find the zone more frequently though Rossie will be 25 on draft day. -
Vernon is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound righthander who pitched as a split starter and reliever during his first two seasons with Murray State, but was a full-time starter in 2023 and 2024. This spring he posted a 4.67 ERA over 90.2 innings and 15 starts with a 20.8% strikeout rate and 4.4% walk rate. He used a low-80s slider as his primary pitch, which he threw about 50% of the time this spring, and backed it with a low-90s fastball that touches 95 but has below-average life and a mid-70s curveball that is slow but features impressive top-down finish. Vernon occasionally mixed in a mid-80s changeup but used the pitch sparingly. -
Bush is a 6-foot-2, 198-pound righthander who has pitched as both a starter and reliever in his five seasons with Texas State. He had a career-best season this spring when he posted a 3.57 ERA over 45.1 innings, including six starts, with a 13.8% strikeout rate and 3.1% walk rate. Bush found success this spring despite a career-worst strikeout rate by putting the ball on the ground often and throwing plenty of strikes with his four-pitch mix. He sits in the low 90s with a fastball that is reliant on command more than shape or power, and backs the pitch with a mid-80s slider/cutter and upper-70s curveball. Nothing Bush throws is a real swing-and-miss weapon at the moment, though his curve has solid depth and high spin rates. -
Ross is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound righthander who missed the 2023 season with injury but came back in 2024 and turned in a career year. He posted a 3.27 ERA over 96.1 innings and 15 starts with a 22% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. Ross throws his fastball in the low 90s and will touch 94 and mixes in a low-80s changeup and slow and slurvy slider in the upper 70s. He’s been a strong strike-thrower throughout his career and owns a 5.8% career walk rate with Samford. -
Washington has had an inconsistent college career that has been marred by injury at times and control questions at others, but he has a power fastball with compelling traits. The 6-foot, 203-pound righthander posted a 6.61 ERA over 31.1 innings including three starts this spring with a 21.9% strikeout rate and 13.5% walk rate. He averaged 93-94 mph and touched 97 with a fastball that he threw more than 80% of the time this spring, and the pitch could play up thanks to both its above-average riding life and a flat approach angle. Washington also throws a mid-80s slider with solid power though he needs to add a bit more touch and feel for the breaking ball. -
Howey is a 5-foot-10, 173-pound righthander who has steadily improved as a reliever for St. Mary’s in each of his four seasons with the program. He had a career season this spring when he posted a 4.26 ERA over 38 innings with a career-high 29.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. Howey is undersized but he averaged 93-94 mph with a fastball that touches 97 and features a flat approach angle that allows it to rack up whiffs. He also throws a hard mid-80s slider and a cutter a few ticks harder. -
The Blue Jays drafted Vogatsky in the 14th round of the 2023 draft, but he opted to return to James Madison for his senior season in 2024. A 6-foot, 215-pound righthander, Vogatsky has developed into a reliable reliever in college and this spring posted a 3.49 ERA over 49 innings with a 22% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate. He has a reliever delivery with effort and a sidearm slot that creates some deception on all of his pitches and mostly works with a fastball/slider combo. The fastball averaged 93 mph this spring and will touch 96-97 at peak and his low-80s slider has solid pure spin rates and modest break. Vogatsky also generated some decent miss rates with a slower curveball in the upper 70s and will mix in a mid-80s changeup. -
Girton pitched mostly in a reliever role for Texas Tech for three seasons before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2024 season where he started 10 games and pitched out of the bullpen in six other appearances. A 6-foot, 227-pound righthander, Girton posted a 7.32 ERA over 35.2 innings with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 16.3% walk rate. While Girton has below-average control that has limited him, his pure stuff is loud starting with a fastball that averaged 94 mph and touches 97-98 with a flat approach angle that could help it play up at the top of the zone. His primary secondary is a hard mid-80s slider with short two-plane biting action that could be a solid pitch if he’s able to put it over the plate a bit more frequently. Girton has thrown a handful of firm upper-80s changeups but rarely used the pitch this spring. -
Mracna attended Belmont Abbey, Northwest Florida State JC and George Mason before he pitched as a starter and reliever for Georgia in 2024. A 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander, Mracna posted a 5.32 ERA over 45.2 innings and 10 starts this spring with a 33.6% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate. Despite his size Mracna throws from a lower release point, thanks in part to above-average extension down the mound, and sits in the 90-94 mph range with a fastball that touches 96 and plays up thanks to his release traits. He overwhelmingly pitches off the fastball, but will mix in a slurvy breaking ball in the upper 70s and an occasional mid-80s changeup. -
Trehey pitched for Johnson County (Kan.) JC in 2022 before transferring to Florida Atlantic where he earned a few starts in 2023 before making the move to a full-time reliever role in 2024. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound righthander was the team’s top reliever this spring and posted a 1.83 ERA over 44.1 innings with a 35.5% strikeout rate and 14% walk rate. He throws a three-pitch mix from a lower three-quarters arm slot. He throws a 90-94 mph fastball that plays up thanks to his release point and flat approach angle and will also mix in a slurvy slider in the 77-82 mph range and occasional low-80s changeup. -
Omlid is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthander who has bounced around a few programs over the years, including Boise State, Central Arizona JC, Grand Canyon and finally Arizona State in 2024. This spring Omlid posted a 6.69 ERA over 37.2 innings mostly out of the bullpen with a 31.8% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. Despite his results, Omlid has intriguing pure stuff led by a 92-94 mph fastball that gets up to 97 and features solid riding life and a flat approach angle as well as a high-spin slider in the mid 80s that averaged around 13 inches of horizontal movement. Omlid will occasionally mix in a mid-80s changeup but primarily worked off the fastball/slider combination. -
The 2024 Austin Peay team will be remembered for its relentless offense, but Devine had a strong season on the mound for the program and posted a 2.95 ERA over 58 innings and 10 starts with a 25.8% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound righthander spent four years with Texas Tech where he mostly pitched out of the bullpen but threw solid strikes and showed a four-pitch mix this spring. He throws his fastball in the 90-94 mph range with a low release height and flat approach angle, and also mixes in a slider around 80 mph, a curveball in the low 70s and a changeup in the mid 80s. -
Morones is a 6-foot, 190-pound righthander who just finished his junior season with Cal State Fullerton but is old for his class and will already be 23 on draft day. He posted a 5.18 ERA over 33 innings this spring, with a 30.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate, but also pitched in the MLB Draft League after the season and managed a 17:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 12 innings. Morones has unique release traits that could allow his 90-95 mph fastball play up thanks to its flat approach angle, and the pitch had above-average miss rates this spring. He also throws a cutter in the upper 80s, a curveball in the upper 70s and an occasional slider in the low 80s. -
Caple is a 6-foot-6, 230-pound righthander who pitched as a reliever for two seasons with Stephen F. Austin before transferring to Lamar where he has been a starter in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. This spring Caple posted a 2.49 ERA over 97.2 innings and 16 starts with a 26% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. He sits in the 89-91 mph range with a fastball that has touched as high as 97 with above-average riding life and has a solid mix of secondaries that includes a mid-80s slider, low-80s changeup, cutter and curveball. -
Hughes is a 6-foot, 190-pound righthander who pitched with Gaston (N.C.) JC and UNC Charlotte before transferring to High Point where he transitioned from a reliever role to a starting role. This spring he posted a 3.77 ERA over 102.2 innings and 16 starts with a 24.9% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. Hughes has a four-pitch mix led by a 90-92 mph fastball that touches 95 with solid riding life, a mid-80s slider that is his most consistent swing-and-miss pitch at the moment. He also throws a curveball in the upper 70s and a changeup in the mid 80s. -
Decker pitched one season with NAIA Concordia before transferring to Oakland where he spent the next three seasons of his college career. A 6-foot-3, 187-pound righthander, Decker pitched out of the bullpen during his first two seasons with Oakland but in 2024 split time as a reliever and starter. He posted a 5.44 ERA this spring over 102.2 innings including 13 starts, with a 23.2% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate. Decker throws from a lower arm slot and averages 90-91 with a fastball that touches 95, though many teams will be intrigued by the flat vertical approach angle he gets on his fastball. His go-to secondary is a mid-80s slider that occasionally has more of a cutter look and he’ll also occasionally mix in a mid-70s curveball and low-80s changeup. -
Favors is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthander who pitched a season at Seminole State (Fla.) JC before heading to Wichita State where he pitched as a reliever for two seasons before taking on a starting role this spring. He posted a 3.21 ERA over 106.2 innings and 16 starts with a 24.1% strikeout rate and 4.5% walk rate. Favors has impressive command of a five-pitch mix that includes a fastball that averages 90 mph and touches 93, as well as a low-80 slider, upper-80s cutter, low-80s changeup and rarely used upper-70s curveball.
Minor League Top Prospects
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EL managers came to have the same feelings about Larish that scouts have had since his college days at Arizona State. Once considered a potentially elite hitter, he has adopted an approach and sells out for home runs. It makes his profile more that of a second-division regular than as a championship-caliber starter. "He's abandoned using the whole field and has very little two-strike approach," one scout said. "He was just trying to jerk balls, but he showed pretty big power, and it's from the left side." His upright stance turns off some, because it precludes him from covering the outer third of the plate and produces serious holes in his swing. The things he can do make Larish a prospect. He's patient, ranking second in the league and sixth in the minors with 87 walks, and he waits out pitchers until he gets a pitch he can drive. His strength and leveraged swing produce well above-average power, as he led the EL with 28 homers and 101 RBIs. He's also an accomplished defender around the bag at first base. -
As they did with lefty John Danks in 2006, the Rangers bumped Hurley to Triple-A just three years after drafting him in the first round out of high school. Texas felt comfortable moving Hurley quickly, given his even temperament and willingness to take instruction. He pitched very well for Oklahoma before getting hammered in his final two starts, when he allowed six of his 13 Triple-A homers. With a repertoire headed by a 91-95 mph fastball and an above-average slider with late depth, Hurley is all about power. Those two pitches will play up--and his strikeouts will increase--as he gains more command. He needs to improve his changeup and do a better job of working down in the strike zone. -
Because of his stuff, frame and profile, Reyes gets compared Horacio Ramirez, who likewise signed with the Braves out of a southern California high school. Reyes made 14 starts at Mississippi before spending three months in the majors when injuries beset Atlanta's pitching staff. He struggled but did win two of his last three starts and posted a 3.10 ERA in September. Reyes doesn't have a true put-away pitch, but he has five weapons at his disposal, headlined by a fastball that ranges from 88-94 mph. He can add and subtract from his fastball, and also throws a cutter in the high 80s. His solid-average slider is his best secondary pitch, which he complements with a usable changeup and curve. He's erratic with his command at times, and Reyes has lapses when a series of mistakes leads to big innings. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter. "He's a guy for me," the second scout said. "He can speed up and slow down bats, and he has enough effective wildness and enough stuff to get away with some of his inconsistency." -
Saunders is one of the best athletes in the Mariners system, but his stock took a hit when he batted .240/.329/.345 in his full-season debut in low Class A last year. He flashed his five-tool potential on a much more consistent basis in the Cal League, and he played well in Double-A in August. He's still growing into his 6-foot-4 frame and has good loft in his swing, which could make him a 20-homer hitter on an annual basis. He has plus speed that makes him a basestealing threat and a plus defender in center or right field. A Canadian who had NHL potential in hockey and also played basketball, lacrosse and soccer, he lacks true baseball instincts but has shown a better sense for the game with each of his promotions. -
Paulino hadn't played above Class A coming into the season, but he made his major league debut in Houston in September, earning wins in his last two starts. He has the body and the stuff to pitch at the top of a rotation, with a fastball that touches 100 mph and sits at 95-99 mph. Paulino has four legitimate pitches, using both a slider and a curveball as well as a changeup. His curveball is probably the best of his complementary pitches, but none of them stand out. To establish himself in the big league rotation, Paulino will have to improve his command and become more confident with his fastball. His velocity allows him to dominate, but if hitters hit his heater early in games, he tends to shy away from it. -
Ely overmatched Pioneer League hitters in his pro debut by consistently by consistently throwing strikes and using his 91-93 mph fastball to set them up for a plus changeup that ranks as his best pitch. His curveball was a solid pitch for him at Miami (Ohio) this spring, though it received mixed reviews from those who saw him this summer. Ely has a deceptive delivery that he repeats well and keeps hitters off balance, but he's also a max-effort pitcher with a head jerk. There are some concerns about how his ability to avoid injuries with his mechanics, but he has no history of arm problems in the past. He's extremely competitive on the mound. -
An exceptional athlete, Brown was recruited by Miami as a wide receiver but he chose instead to sign as a 20th-round pick in 2006. The ball jumps off his bat, though his swing can get long and has some holes that can be exploited. His wiry-strong build evokes Darryl Strawberry, and he can hit the ball a long way when he connects. A long strider with above-average speed, Brown plays a shallow center field. He occasionally takes some bad routes, but he's athletic enough to compensate and has a strong arm. "He's got a ton of tools," Hudson Valley manager Matt Quatraro said. "His body, if it fills out, he could be a monster. His swing's long at times, but when he gets on top of the ball, he's got some juice." -
Fabian has added 30 pounds since signing out of the Dominican in 2003, and his 6-foot-3 frame still has plenty of projection remaining. He has yet to reach full-season ball in five years as a pro and is far from a finished product, but his loose arm is loaded with potential. Fabian's fastball sits at 91 mph and he was up to 96 in the first game of the NWL finals, when he pitched into the eighth inning and earned the win against Salem-Keizer. He's aggressive and attacks hitters, though his command is below-average. He'll occasionally break off a filthy downer curveball that could become a legitimate putaway offering. His changeup is below-average, though it too could develop into a weapon. -
The Yankees signed Heredia out of the Dominican Republic last year. He didn't pitch in the Dominican Summer League in 2006 and made his pro debut in the States this summer. Not big but wiry strong, Heredia pumps out fastballs from 91-93 mph, touching some 94s along the way. He has a loose, easy delivery and adds and subtracts from his fastball, which he commands to all four quadrants of the strike zone. His slurvy breaking ball needs to get tighter, though it shows flashes of being a plus pitch with solid downward rotation. "He just reminds me of Pedro Martinez when I was with the Dodgers in '93," Reed said. "You see the frame and wonder where it all comes from. This guy is the same way." His changeup is still a work in progress, as he's refining his arm action and grip to command it more consistently. Heredia morphed into a two-pitch pitcher at times, and he'll have to gain more confidence in his changeup if he's going to profile as a starter. -
Ottavino's approach is simple yet effective. He relies on a 92-93 mph fastball featuring good armside run and a tight slider, as the fastball rides in on righthanders while the slider runs away from them. His command isn't very polished, but he gets enough movement that he can simply aim for the middle of the plate and relying on the run on his fastball and the tilt on his slider to hit the corners. Ottavino got FSL hitters to chase his slider out of the zone, though there's some concern as to whether he can throw it consistently for strikes if more advanced players lay off of it. He also throws a below-average changeup and curveball, and he might wind up in the bullpen down the road. -
James flew under the radar last season despite going 6-2, 1.36 in Lexington. His fringy fastball didn't excite scouts then, but they believe in him more now that his velocity increased this year. His heater sat at 89-92 and he can sink and tail it to either side of the plate, making him a groundball machine. James' slider is an average pitch with plus potential. He has toyed with different grips on his changeup but hasn't found consistent command of it yet. "He could be unhittable at times here and all he'd throw were sinkers," Sarbaugh said. "He'd flash you the breaking ball, he'd flash the changeup, but he was pretty much all sinkers." -
AZL managers found Culberson, a surprise supplemental first-round pick in June, far from conventional but nonetheless to their liking. He rebounded from a terrible start to help drive the Giants into the championship game, leading the team with 19 stolen bases (in 20 tries) and batting .354 in August. Culverson showed pull power, savvy baserunning skills and above-average bat speed, and he made progress on learning when to be aggressive and when to be smart. Culberson hit 16 homers as a high school senior, but homers aren't likely to be a significant part of his game as he moves up the ladder. The unconventional part comes with his glove. Culberson has excellent arm strength despite an unusual, almost sidearm release point, and as he learns to trust his arm, he'll improve his fringe-average range by playing deeper and learning better positioning. His aggressive nature led to mistakes, but he worked hard with roving instructor Fred Stanley and showed enough aptitude (one error in his last 12 games in the AZL) to keep playing shortstop in instructional league. -
Romero finished third in the league in batting (.316) and homers (nine). He's a gap-to-gap hitter who can drive the ball hard the other way, and he should have even more power as he gets stronger and turns on more pitches. Defensively, Romero has limited range at third base but he does have soft hands, arm strength and a quick release. He sometimes overthrows, but he's fairly steady and led Appy League third baseman with a .929 fielding percentage. His biggest need is to find an even keel, as he gets down on himself and lets his emotions affect his play. "He's got it in him," Elizabethton manager Ray Smith said. "He's a tools guy and he can hit it as far as anybody. He's got it in him, but we need to get it out of him." -
After hitting just three homers in Rookie ball last year, Francisco won the MWL home run crown with 25, including 10 in the final month. In a league full of young power hitters, scouts and managers thought Francisco had the most raw pop of any of them. "He swings the bat with a lot of authority," Great Lakes manager Lance Parrish said. "He has a lot of potential and it's not too far in the future. He'll be leading every league he's in in home runs and he'll be an all-star." Francisco offers incredible pull power from the left side, though he needs to tone down his aggression and tighten his strike zone after fanning 161 times and walking only 23 in 135 games. He has a long swing and tends to chase balls in the dirt, but he's also just 20. He has enough arm and mobility to stay at third base, though he'll have to watch his weight to do so. -
Like Votto, Lind came into the season with high expectations after winning the Double-A Eastern League's MVP award and hitting .367 in 60 September big league at-bats in 2006. He started 2007 with Syracuse, earning an early callup when Reed Johnson had back surgery. American League pitchers were ready for Lind this time and he struggled to make adjustments, hitting .230/.274/.383 before a July demotion. Lind regained his confidence and his stroke in the IL, and he fared better (.273/.298/.473) after a September callup. He's balanced at the plate and stays inside the ball well, using his classic lefthanded swing to drive the ball from line to line. "His hands somewhat work independently from his body," Syracuse manager Doug Davis said. "He's got such good hand-eye coordination that it's very easy for him to put the barrel of the bat on ball. That's my biggest thing. He's a natural hitter who can not only put the ball in play, but drive it." Lind missed two weeks in early August when he strained a muscle in his neck after violently banging his head on the ground while making a diving attempt for a catch. A similar play in 2006 caused a concussion. He remains a work in progress in the outfield, where below-average speed and just playable range and throwing mechanics limit him to left field. -
After serving as a catcher when he wasn't injured during his first two pro seasons, Snyder moved to first base this year and looked more comfortable. He had his best offensive season to date, rebounding nicely from the dislocated right shoulder and rotator-cuff surgery that limited him to 72 games in 2006. Snyder showed improved plate discipline and continued to display a smooth swing from the right side. He consistently gets his hands in a good hitting position. The question, however, is whether he'll drive in enough runs to be an impact player at the major league level, because the move to first base puts a greater emphasis on his bat. Snyder, who showed soft hands and good athleticism at his new position, also took groundballs at third base. "He adapted well defensively and has become a quality first baseman," Kendall said. "He also made adjustments with the bat, particularly with his pitch selection. Last year, he didn't have a plan when he stepped in the box. While he'll still wave at breaking balls, he has improved in working the count and using the whole field." -
The highlight of Lofgren's season was going home to San Francisco for the Futures Game--he's from famed Serra High in nearby San Mateo--but the regular season held some struggles for him. His athletic ability, competitiveness and aptitude still make him one of the minors' more intriguing lefties, but he has work to do. Lofgren pitches off his average-to-plus fastball, running it up to 93-94 mph at times. His curveball, slider and changeup all flash above-average potential as well. He started throwing his changeup two years ago and it's now his best secondary pitch, allowing him to be more effective against righthanders (.739 OPS against) than lefties (.815 OPS). Lofgren didn't attack Double-A hitters like he needed to, getting into trouble by nibbling when he got ahead or by struggling to throw his secondary pitches for strikes early in counts. One scout said Lofgren needs to learn pitchability and expects his athletic ability to help him do that with another year in the minors. -
Patton spent the first half of the season in Double-A and required just eight Triple-A starts before he was thrust into Houston's rotation in August. The Astros turned to him not because he had blown away PCL batters, but because he shows exceptional poise for a young pitcher. After three effective appearances in Houston, he was shut down with shoulder soreness, which cut short his two previous seasons as well. With command of three pitches and a strong pickoff move, Patton has the ingredients to be a solid No. 3 starter. He locates his 88-92 mph fastball to both sides of the plate and has confidence in his hard curveball. Patton has made the greatest strides with his changeup, which fades down and away from righthanders. -
Just before Scherzer would have re-entered the 2006 draft, the Diamondbacks coughed up a four-year major league contract worth $4.3 million in guaranteed money to sign the 11th overall pick from 2005. Nicknamed "Max-a-million" by his teammates, he made three starts in high Class A before arriving in Mobile in late June. Scherzer's most attractive attribute is a sinking fastball that tops out near 95 mph. His mechanics need some work, as his release point is inconsistent and there's some effort to his delivery, but he does achieve good extension out front and his arm strength is obvious. Scherzer has a two-seamer he can run up to 90 mph, an 80-84 mph slider and a changeup, all of which have potential to be solid-average to plus offerings. But Scherzer's arsenal is inconsistent, and his overall command is below average. That leads some scouts to project he'll wind up in the bullpen, where he can focus on his fastball and slider. "It's an outstanding arm who needs polish and has some max effort to it, which impacts his ability to command the baseball," a fourth scout said. "The stuff is there, it's just a matter of if he can make that next step and command it." -
Statia has the tools to play shortstop in the majors now. He's an athletic defender with above-average range to both sides, plus arm strength and good instincts. He's a savvy basestealer as well, swiping 29 bags in 37 tries despite just average speed. While his defense is big league-ready, his bat is nowhere close. Until he adds some strength to his lanky frame, he'll be vulnerable to good fastballs. He has little power, and while he makes consistent contact, he doesn't draw many walks. -
Rodriguez doesn't offer one overwhelming tool, but his overall package and strong baseball instincts should make him an effective big leaguer. His offensive numbers dipped from 2006, when he led the minors with 291 total bases, but he was still selected as the league's all-star shortstop. Power is probably Rodriguez' best tool, as he shows the ability to drive the ball to all fields and could hit 20-25 homers per year in the majors. Some observers think he would be better served shortening his swing and being more of a doubles hitter, however. Though he has a good swing and balance at the plate, he led the league with 132 whiffs, in part because of poor strike-zone recognition. Rodriguez has been a shortstop so far in his career and shows good defensive actions, but his below-average speed and big frame, as well as organization depth, could push him to second base or the outfield. He'll probably end up as a utility player. -
Fish finished in a three-way tie for the league lead with 77 strikeouts in 72 innings and fanned 13 in eight innings in his lone playoff outing. His funky delivery creates deception and confuses hitters, making his 88-93 mph fastball seem quicker than it really is. He has good secondary pitches, though he needs to be more consistent with his curveball, which rates as solid-average when he throws it for strikes. Fish still needs to improve his command and must keep his weight under control. -
Welker had an up-and-down spring as a weekend starter for Arkansas after transferring from Seminole State (Okla.) JC, but the Pirates drafted him in the second round based on his arm strength and projectable 6-foot-7 frame. He had a strong pro debut before the Pirates shut him down because of elbow soreness. Welker pitches at 92-93 mph and touches 95-96 with his lively fastball, and he might throw even harder as he matures. He pitches off his fastball, working it in and out, and mixes in a slurvy breaking ball that has potential but needs some tightening. His changeup is usable but also needs some refinement. Welker has a strong, durable frame and pitches on a good downward plane. He could be a starter in the big leagues if he can polish his secondary offerings. "One thing that sticks out the most to me is his competitiveness and his presence," State College manager Turner Ward said. "To me, he's definitely a big leaguer. He's got the stamina, the body, just the package of a starting pitcher." -
Canham's makeup and offensive prowess were a big part of Oregon State's back-to-back College World Series titles. The day he reported to Eugene, he introduced himself to manager Greg Riddoch and promptly asked to take the opposing hitters' chart home with him to prepare for the next night's game. Canham injured a testicle in mid-July and missed two weeks. After he returned to the lineup, his solid-average bat speed and raw power weren't as evident, but he's a confident hitter with a good approach from the left side of the plate. He has a tendency to drift during his swing, which creates some length. Canham's defensive skills are subpar, but he's a good athlete with plenty of agility and aptitude to work his way into becoming an adequate catcher. He has solid-average arm strength with a fair release that would be aided by better footwork, and he threw out 31 percent of basestealers in the NWL. He's an average runner. -
The tallest pitcher in the GCL at 6-foot-10, Moviel also has stuff to back up his height advantage. He consistently threw 92-93 mph and touched 95 with his fastball. He draws comparisons to Yankees first-round pick Andrew Brackman because both are huge Ohio natives who committed to North Carolina State (Brackman played for the Wolfpack but Moviel turned pro). Though Brackman is three years older, Moviel may be more polished. Scouts raved about his ability to not only repeat his delivery, but his secondary pitches as well. He'll pitch inside with his fastball with no fear, and his 82-83 mph hammer curveball really keeps opposing hitters at bay. Moviel also has a workable changeup, though it lags behind his other two offerings. There are concerns about his long arm action, but he's athletic and fields his position well for a big man. -
With Outman, it's all about control. He struggles at times to control his fastball, which explains why ranked among the minor league leaders with 77 walks in 159 innings. At times he struggles to control his emotions, which explains why he overthrows and is prone to big innings and bad outings. But there's also a lot to like about the lefty, who led the league with a 2.45 ERA and earned a promotion to Double-A. Outman's fastball sits at 92-94 mph and he pairs it with an 84-87 mph slider. He's working on a changeup that still has a ways to go. A good athlete, Outman has reworked his mechanics and developed a more conventional delivery since turning pro. He also has added some deception, as he now hides the ball much longer, and his fastball has picked up some life. One manager who saw him in low Class A in 2006 said has made significant strides since last year -
A second-round pick in 2006, Perez made his full-season debut with the Avalanche. He was up an down for much of the season, but he showed two quality pitches throughout. His fastball has excellent late life and sits at 91-93 mph, while his 84-mph slider was his out pitch for much of the year. Perez' changeup improved as the season wore on, though he still doesn't have quite the arm action he needs to make it as effective as it could be. He repeats his delivery well, though some scouts expressed concern with the way he wraps his wrist in the back of his delivery -
Carvajal had to repeat the league after a hand injury curtailed his season last year. He needed the experience because he had gotten just 75 at-bats since signing for $350,000 in late 2005 out of the Dominican Republic. He's still raw, particularly in terms of pitch recognition and plate discipline, but he also has some of the best bat speed in the Padres system and enough athletic ability to play well in a short trial in center field. According to AZL Padres manager Tony Muser, the former Royals skipper, Carvajal profiles best as a left fielder with good defense and enough power for the position. "He has a lot of upside because he can do a lot of things," Muser said. "He can run, he's got a plus arm, he's got raw power. A lot of times with young players like him, it can take longer getting on their feet, and he lost time, but now he's making progress." -
If Van Mil makes it all the way up, he'll be the tallest pitcher in major league history at 7-foot-1. By the time he follows through, he's practically standing on home plate. His velocity is closer to Chris Young's than Randy Johnson's, however. Van Mil's fastball settles in around 91 mph and tops out at 95. His height gives him a downward plane that's tough on hitters. He's athletic and agile for his size. A product of the Netherlands, Van Mil lacks pitching instincts and profiles more as a reliever than as a starter. He's working on a slider that has some tilt, but he sometimes slows down his arm when he throws it. He also lacks control.Van Mil came down with elbow soreness, which sidelined him for three weeks in August. -
Like Poveda, Whittleman was much improved and still young for the league in his second stint at Clinton. After batting .227/.313/.343 as a 19-year-old in 2006, he boosted those numbers to .271/.382/.476 before an August callup to high Class A. He also added a Futures Game homer off the Mets' Deolis Guerra. Whittleman had a quieter approach and better balance at the plate this season, and he didn't chase as many pitches. With his swing, strength and grasp of the strike zone, he has a chance to hit .280 with 15-20 homers annually in the majors. He doesn't profile as well at third base as Bell, but he has a better stroke and puts more effort into his defense. Playing third base is still a struggle for Whittleman, who has the arm strength but lacks sure hands and quick feet. He made 29 errors in 85 games, and his .880 percentage was worse than his 2006 mark of .891. He tailed off in July, batting just .154/.264/.179 as most observers thought he got frustrated because he wasn't promoted earlier. -
Jones posted the second-highest slugging percentage (.507) in the Southern League and didn't miss a beat after earning a late-July promotion to Richmond, where he helped the Braves win the IL wild card. With a confident, quiet setup and a sweet lefty swing, he projects to be an above-average major league hitter. He makes adjustments and stays inside the ball well, taking what pitchers give him. Jones has 20-homer potential, which is about average for a corner outfielder, and he rarely turned on pitches in the IL, prompting some to question his assertiveness as a potential middle-of-the-order hitter. An average runner, he gets down the line well because of his clean swing mechanics. But with below-average hands and defensive instincts and a slow release on throws, he's a left fielder all the way. -
Hanson went just 2-6 in 14 starts at Rome, but his record fails to tell the true story. He used solid command of four pitches along with a willingness to throw inside to post a 2.59 ERA and limit hitters to a .194 average. Six-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Hanson has impressive mound presence and delivers the ball on an intimidating downhill plane. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he commands it well. Add in the tight spin on his curveball and improving depth on his changeup, and he's on the fast track in the Braves system. "He has good arm strength and I really like his breaking ball," Asheville pitching coach Bryan Harvey said. "He has a real good idea out there on the mound." -
Kendrick never had pitched above Class A prior to 2007, but he entered the postseason as the Phillies' Game Two starter, and his 3.87 ERA ranked second among their starters. He got started down that path in the EL, as he harnessed his command and stopped trying to pitch up in the strike zone with his fastball and down with his slider. The athletic Kendrick repeats his delivery, pumps his two-seam sinker to the bottom of the zone and spots his harder, low-90s four-seamer down and away. He also has a hard slider that's more of a groundball pitch than a strikeout offering. His changeup plays up because he locates it well. "He realized strikeouts are over-rated," Reading manager P.J. Forbes said. "He's pitching at the knees and when he misses, he misses down. He made hitters hit his pitch, because his command was that good. To give up just three home runs, playing in our ballpark, that's all about executing your pitches, and he did." -
One of the few Mariners prospects who has been allowed to develop more or less at his own pace, Balentien showed improvement across the board in his first taste of Triple-A. Most strikingly, he slashed his strikeout rate from one every 3.2 at-bats in 2006 to one every 4.5 for Tacoma. Though Balentien still will wildly chase pitches out of the zone, he did show increased selectivity in the first half, especially with regard to breaking balls off the plate. He has immense raw power to all fields and hit his first big league homer in September off Fausto Carmona. Balentien also has average speed and good baserunning instincts. He's an average defender with a plus arm in right field. He frequently has come under scrutiny for his lackadaisical play and though he still has lapses, he showed more focus and maturity in 2007. -
After a dominant season in 2006, Meloan spent the first half of 2007 as Jacksonville's closer before climbing to Triple-A and the majors. Managers rated him the league's best reliever and he has the makings of a valuable late-inning man in the big leagues. Meloan has two speeds--hard and harder--and a tenacious attitude. He works primarily off an 89-94 mph fastball and a mid-80s slider that has touched 89. He also has feel for a curveball and changeup, but his slider and above-average command are his ticket. Meloan attacks both sides of the plate and pitches ahead in the count. His delivery is rigid and lacks fluidity, but he has shown resilience since arm soreness arose shortly after he was drafted in 2005. -
If Young reaches the majors, his speed will be what gets him there. After leading the minors with 87 steals in 2006, he ranked second this year with 73. He became more efficient swiping bases, succeeding on 80 percent of his attempts, up from 74 percent a year ago. "He's a legitimate big league basestealer," Subero said. "He could go up on speed alone." Young uses his speed to get on base via bunts, though he still needs to improve his strike-zone judgment to be a tablesetter at the top of the order. He upgraded his total package by improving his defense at second base, showing better range and footwork. -
Duran was an afterthought in the Texas system coming into 2007, but he stung the ball all season and ranked among the TL leaders in most offensive categories. He also represented the Rangers on the World team in the Futures Game. Scouts and managers see Duran as an offensive second baseman whose overall approach to hitting isn't as polished as Antonelli's, but he offers more power. Duran isn't big but has a strong body and a quick bat, with the ability to put a charge in the ball. Most managers regarded Duran as a solid second baseman. He's good around the bag and should be able to make the routine plays, with average range and an average arm. His speed is fringe-average. -
Ambriz had shoulder surgery in 2004, then returned to star as a two-way player for UCLA the last two seasons. The Diamondbacks drafted him solely as a pitcher, and in his first pro summer he excelled as a swingman and earned the save in the clinching game of the Pioneer League playoffs. Arizona wants Ambriz to pitch off his fastball, and when he worked in shorter outings than he did as a college starter, his heater sat at 91-93 mph and touched 95. He also did a better job of keeping the ball down in the strike zone than he did at UCLA, with his mid-80s splitter resulting in a lot of groundballs. Ambriz also tightened his curveball. His curve and his changeup are still inconsistent, and he'll need to further develop them to succeed when he becomes a full-time starter next season. -
While he's a college pitcher, Wagner isn't the average college product. A former North Dakota State player, he saw his draft stock fall in 2005 due to a left kneecap injury that altered his mechanics and sapped his velocity. Healthy again, he and Aberdeen's Luis Lebron were the NY-P's dominant relievers. Wagner had the league's best fastball, sitting at 95-97 mph in just about every outing. He was content to blow fastballs by hitters, and his above-average control of the pitch means he can throw it for strikes to all four quadrants of the strike zone. However, Wagner lacks a second pitch. He has tried both a curveball and a slider, showing little feel for spinning a breaking ball. He had more success late in the summer when he started throwing a splitter, but he lacked confidence in the pitch. It looked better in the bullpen than in games. -
Cowart took the NWL by storm in his pro debut after the Giants drafted him in the 35th round as a Kansas State senior. He didn't allow an earned run in his first four starts and 21 innings, then reeled off an even longer stretch of five starts and 28 innings without yielding an earned run. On his way to winning NWL pitcher of the year honors, Cowart won his first 10 professional decisions before losing in his final regular-season outing. Cowart, who led the league with 10 wins and a 1.08 ERA, has impeccable control of underwhelming stuff, walking just eight batters in 83 innings. He also does a great job keeping the ball on the ground. The key to his success was the deception he creates with his funky submarine arm angle. He also has a very advanced feel for pitching, working both halves of the plate and leaving nothing above the knees. He has plenty of poise on the mound and fields his position well. But Cowart works in the 80-83 mph range with his fastball, topping out at 85, and he lacks a plus pitch. He also uses a slurvy breaking ball and a changeup. Cowart's future is in the bullpen, and his best-case scenario is that he can become a right-on-right specialist in the big leagues. Scouts are skeptical he'll be able to get hitters out at higher levels. -
A star tailback who rushed for 2,183 yards as an Illinois high school senior and could have played college football, Benson committed to baseball after the Twins made him a second-round pick in June. He offered one of the better combinations of power and speed in the GCL. He also has the range and enough arm to play center field. Besides his physical tools, Benson has a knack for making adjustments and playing with a football mentality. He can get too aggressive at times and will have to tone down his approach at the plate and on the bases. He had the mental toughness to handle a jump to low Class A after injuries riddled the Twins' Beloit affiliate. -
A guy who hit .224 in a return trip to low Class A doesn't seem like a prime candidate for the FSL Top 20. But Golson improved after a promotion to Clearwater and his ceiling remains high, even if he remains raw. "He's got all the tools," Legg said. Golson is a standout center fielder with plus range and arm strength, though his routes to the ball could use improvement. He's a plus-plus runner who's still learning how to pick his spots to steal. And he shows above-average power potential at the plate. Golson's only problem is a big one. He has yet to show the ability to make consistent contact, as evidenced by his .233 batting average and 160 strikeouts between two Class A stops this year. He doesn't recognize pitches well and he pulls off the ball too much. But he also has quick hands and a quick bat, which lead some to believe he'll figure it out. "He's young," Warner said. "He'll chase here and there, but if you make a mistake, it's a different sound coming off of his bat." -
A revelation offensive and defensively in his 2005 pro debut, Lowrie suffered a high ankle sprain in May, missed a month and didn't find any rhythm at the plate until August. When he finally go healthy, he hit .325 with two of his three homers in the final month. While there are questions about Lowrie remaining at short because he lacks range and eye-popping arm strength, several scouts compared him to Jeff Blauser and Kevin Elster and gave him a chance to stay there. "He's kind of like David Eckstein with a lot better tools," an AL scout said. "You sit there and say to yourself, 'That guy's an everyday shortstop.' He makes the plays, nothing necessarily real flashy, but he's going to get it done." -
The Padres won the league in part because of the ability of Durango and Hunter to get on base and the knack Carrasco and league RBI champ Ranyor Contreras had for driving them in. San Diego officials rave about Carrasco's raw power, though some managers questioned his defense and listed age of 19, preferring Contreras. A year younger and more physical, Carrasco earns the nod here for two big power tools. Besides his pop, he also has a plus throwing arm, as well as the range and hands to become an average defensive third baseman. "He's a legitimate switch-hitter, and when he got into one, it went a long way," one manager said. "He needs to improve his pitch recognition and he's pretty mature physically, but he has outstanding power." -
Though Severino was repeating the league and is significantly older than the other pitchers on this list, his stuff stood out. He had arguably the best fastball in the league, a 92-93 mph heater that explodes on hitters and enabled him to lead the league with 90 strikeouts in 68 innings. Three times he struck out 10 or more batters in a start. At 5-foot-11 and 150 pounds, Severino doesn't resemble a power pitcher, but he attacks hitters and his stuff certainly plays that way. His quick arm action also makes his slider tough to hit, though the pitch is a work in progress. Severino has average command of a changeup he throws to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball. His inconsistent mechanics sometimes lead to lapses in control. -
The league MVP, Baisley did it all. He led the MWL in runs (86) and RBIs (110, the second-highest total in the minors) and also was the circuit's best defensive third baseman. Baisley is a very good situational hitter who doesn't try to do too much. He has a balanced stance, sound swing and pitch-recognition skills, enabling him to drive balls from gap to gap. He moves better than most 6-foot-3, 210-pounders, showing range to both sides, and has a solid arm. The biggest knock against him was his age: 23, ancient for low Class A. The Athletics are also high on fellow third baseman Myron Leslie (Baisley's former South Florida teammate), who was ensconced in high Class A, so they left Baisley at Kane County. "It's an absolute crime that kid played there for the entire season," a second AL scout said. -
Denorfia continued to do what he's always done--hit for average, get on base and play good defense--as he spent the season shuttling between the majors and the minors. He saw more time with the Reds after the mid-July trade of Austin Kearns, but Denorfia didn't hit enough to avoid a demotion. His future is probably as a fourth outfielder. Denorfia is a manager's delight because he's an overachiever who plays with passion. He has no one exceptional tool, but he's a disciplined, line-drive hitter who can take the ball up the middle or to the opposite field. He's probably no more than a 15-home run hitter in the majors. "He puts the ball in play and he's a good two-strike hitter," Cliburn said. "We played one series where we couldn't get him out. We'd pitch him away and he'd go the other way. Pitch him in and he'd drive it into the gap." Denorfia has average range in center field and enough arm to play in right. Above-average speed may be Denorfia's strongest tool, and he succeeded in 15 of 16 steal attempts. -
Outman doesn't have the feel for pitching that his teammate Maloney does, but he throws significantly harder. He also put together one of the most dominant months any minor league pitcher had this year when he went 5-0, 0.28 in August. He won 13 of his final 15 decisions. A wiry 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, Outman often catches hitters off guard with his 90-94 mph fastball. His 80-84 mph slider also has the potential to be a plus pitch. He throws a curveball as well, but the consensus is that he'd be better off scrapping it and sticking solely with his slider. The key to Outman's future will be his changeup, which is still fringy. If it doesn't improve, his fastball-slider combo alone should make him an effective reliever. -
Olson climbed to Double-A in his first full pro season and displayed durability, consistency and solid-average stuff. If he improves his command and changeup, he could become a No. 3 or 4 starter. His fastball sits near 90 mph, and Olson has crafted a two-seamer that's slower but helps his cause against righthanders. His well above-average curveball is sharp with late, hard break and tight rotation. It's especially tough on lefties. He mixes his pitches well and moves them around, but he works deep in the count too often and tries to be too fine. His curve alone guarantees that he should become at least a dependable left-on-left reliever. -
Guzman has yet to duplicate his breakout 2004 season, and the Dodgers finally decided to use him in a deadline deal for Julio Lugo in July. His days as a shortstop have come to an end, and is future now appears to be in the outfield or first base, with third base also a possibility. Guzman still stands out from a physical standpoint, as he's a 6-foot-6, 250-pounder loaded with athleticism. He still needs to tighten his strike zone and add more defensive polish at his new positions, but he has tape-measure power, above-average arm strength and solid speed. "I like his size and power potential," DeFrancesco said. "The length of his swing has to be shortened, though, in order to survive in the big leagues. I see him as a first baseman. He'd be a nice big target over there with above-average athleticism for the position." -
Broadway started his season as strong as anyone in league, going 3-1, 1.74 in April. But then his delivery fell out of whack for two months, and hitters feasted on fastballs left up in the strike zone. He eventually fixed his mechanics and got back on track. The best pitch in Broadway's arsenal is a plus-plus spike curveball, which he commands to any part of the plate and will throw in any count. His average 89-90 mph fastball lacks consistent life and flattens out late in games. He seldom used a changeup in college and needs to increase arm speed to make it an effective third pitch. "He's polished and he's a fast-track guy," a NL scout said. "Whether he's fast-tracked as a pen guy or a starter depends on that changeup. It shows flashes, but sometimes it's very easy for hitters to pick up what's coming." -
A former high school valedictorian, Headley stands out most for his headsy approach to the game. Multiple managers commented on how much they enjoyed talking to him while they coached third base and he played the field. Headley does everything fairly well but nothing exceptionally well. His biggest asset is his plate discipline and pitch recognition. A switch-hitter, he's much more effective as a lefty, though his swing is tailored more to hit line drives than home runs from both sides. Power is the biggest question mark, because he lacks physical projection and scouts doubt he'll have enough pop for third base. He's a solid defender at the hot corner, with soft hands, a fairly strong, very accurate arm and adequate range. He does a good job charging bunts and makes all the routine plays. One scout compared Headley to Greg Norton, and he could end up as a solid player off the bench. -
Balentien drew comparisons to Manny Ramirez from league managers, both for his hitting potential and for his sometimes mystifying on-field behavior. Some managers called him a hot dog. He's one of the most intriguing power hitters in the minors--and represented the Mariners in the Futures Game in July--but his performance this season didn't match his potential. He has all the tools to be a middle-of-the-lineup force, including light-tower power. "My God, he can hit the ball a long way," Clark said. He has strength in his body and in his swing, with power from gap to gap, but his swing is big and he has not shown an ability to cut it down based on the count. He also struggled with breaking stuff, though he did show a willingness to hit the ball the other way this year. Balentien has a strong arm and runs well, though he's not a burner, and he played both right and center field for San Antonio. His long-term fit is in right, though. His attention sometimes wavered, and he led TL outfielders with 11 errors. -
A preseason appendectomy nearly derailed Hynick's junior season at Birmingham-Southern, but he rebounded to post a 2.59 ERA this spring. The Rockies pounced on him in the eighth round, confident they could help crispen his secondary stuff behind his 90-93 mph fastball. He quickly bought into instruction and went on to capture the league's pitcher of the year award. Hynick has an unorthodox arm action, but it works for him and hasn't hampered his ability to fill the strike zone. He made a lot of progress with a splitter that one coach said was the league's best pitch. He still has more work to do with his curveball and changeup. -
Pino was the best young Latin middle infielder in the league, though Aberdeen's Pedro Florimon received notice for his outstanding shortstop defense. Pino has more offensive upside and polish than Florimon, and his athletic ability stood out in a league dominated by college players. Pino ranked third in the league batting race, relying on a quick bat, contact-oriented approach and excellent hand-eye coordination. He fits best as a No. 2 hitter, though he needs to improve his bunting as well as his willingness to draw walks. He's an above-average runner and was caught just twice in 20 attempts. Pino's arm strength limits him to second base, but he has enough to be efficient at turning the double play. -
A native of Montana, where there's no high school baseball, the 6-foot-9 Mickolio played only basketball until the summer before his senior year of high school, when he began playing American Legion ball. He showed enough promise in his first year at Eastern Utah JC in 2003 that the Cardinals drafted him in the 35th round, and he made even more progress after transferring to Utah Valley State. With his enormous size, Mickolio was an imposing bullpen arm for Everett this summer. His height allows him to pitch on a downward angle and induce plenty of groundballs, as evidenced by his 49-18 ground-fly ratio. He works in the low 90s with a heavy fastball that has plenty of life and touches 94 mph. Mickolio also flashes a decent slider now and then, though he still has plenty of work to do on it and his changeup. His slider lacks tight rotation and doesn't miss many bats, and he needs to do a better job commanding his stuff within the strike zone. But considering how far Mickolio has come in his short pitching career, it's not a huge stretch to project him as a major league reliever. -
Another piece of the Abreu trade, Monasterios remained in the GCL with Sanchez, with both players moving across town from Tampa to Clearwater. As with most young pitchers, his best pitch is his fastball. He usually throws in the low 90s but was clocked as high as 96 mph. Monasterios pounds the strike zone and walked just six batters in 45 innings. He flashes a plus breaking ball, but it flattens out when he gets around the pitch in his delivery. He has shown some feel for a changeup, though it remains a distant third option for now. -
Patterson never has wowed scouts, even when he was winning the Cape Cod League batting title or hitting 50 homers during his college career at Louisiana State. But he continues to hit, and he impressed FSL managers with his heady approach at the plate. He led the league with a .520 slugging percentage after topping the short-season New York-Penn League with a .595 mark in his pro debut a year ago. Patterson has quick hands and power to all fields. He hits breaking balls well, but there's some concern that he still has too much of an aluminum-bat swing, with his weight too far forward at contact, leaving him vulnerable to being busted inside. Though he has average speed and an average arm, Patterson was able to handle center field with few problems. He still profiles better on a corner, however. -
Before he moved up to Double-A and made way for Lillibridge, Bixler was one of the most exciting players in the league. As with Lillibridge, speed is Bixler's best tool, though he's not quite as fast. A spray hitter with gap power, Bixler learned to work counts more effectively this season. He's surehanded, but his range and arm are average at best and may be better suited for second base. "His bat is really going to have to carry him because he's not going to be a shortstop in the big leagues," a NL scout said. "He has some instincts there, but not enough to get to balls he should get to. He's Tony Graffanino for me." -
After signing for $150,000, Madrigal spent his first five seasons in pro ball as an outfielder. However, his above-average raw power didn't translate to games well enough because of his inability to recognize breaking balls. After getting off to a tough start in his third straight assignment to low Class A Cedar Rapids, Madrigal assented when the Angels asked him to move to the mound in late May. As a pitcher, Madrigal showed the same raw arm strength he had as an outfielder. His fastball touched 98 mph and he regularly sat at 94 mph when he maintained his mechanics. His slider also showed signs of being a reliable second pitch. Still just 22, he could move quickly if he continues to show aptitude in his new role. "What impressed me was the poise he showed for being new to pitching," Angels manager Ever Magallanes said. "He had pretty good mound presence for his level of experience." -
After finishing second in the Missouri Valley Conference batting race with a .382 average, Ashley figured to tear up the Appy League--and he did by hitting .333 and leading the league with a .440 on-base percentage. The oldest player on this list, he made quick transition to wood bats and made hard contact to all fields. He's physically mature but still may have room for growth in the power department. While he is highly athletic for a catcher, Ashley still needs work behind the plate. In instructional league, the Devil Rays plan to address his mechanical flaws in terms of his setup, receiving and blocking. He does have good hands, shows a plus arm at times and threw out 52 percent of basestealers in his pro debut. -
While Kelly is steady, Ciriaco is spectacular but also erratic. Though he had one of the MWL's strongest infield arms and was one of its fastest players, he stole just 19 bases in 27 attempts and led the minors with 45 errors. "He has God-given talent," Joyce said. "He might have the best arm strength in the league. It's right there with (2004 No. 1 overall pick) Matt Bush, and he's more accurate and gets to more balls than Bush." Still learning to apply that talent, Ciriaco plays out of control at the plate and in the field. He chases pitches out of the strike zone, gets his feet tangled up on defense and commits mental as well as physical mistakes. But he has the hand-eye coordination to hit, and the physical skills to excel in all aspects of the game if he slows himself down. -
Haeger topped the IL with 14 wins and finished among the league leaders in nearly every category: 3.07 ERA (fourth), 170 innings (fourth), 130 strikeouts (fourth) and 78 walks (second). With uncanny command of a knuckleball for such a young pitcher, Haeger projects as an innings-eating No. 5 starter. Though Haeger still walked a lot of batters, he has improved the command of his lively knuckler to the point where he can go to either corner with the pitch. He can change speeds on the knuckler--ranging from 65-75 mph--depending on the effect it's having on batters. Some IL batters thought his knuckleball was the best they'd ever seen, and he reminded one scout of Tom Candiotti for the action he got on the pitch. When he falls behind, Haeger can go to a straight 84-86 mph fastball, a pitch that's easier to locate. It's strictly a get-me-over offering, which is problematic on days when his knuckler doesn't cooperate. -
Until Will Inman qualified for the ERA title in his last start of the season, Matt Maloney was in line to capture the SAL pitching triple crown. He settled for leading the league in victories (16), innings (169) and strikeouts (180) while winning the league's pitch-of-the-year award. He's a classic soft-tossing lefty who relies on command and guile. His fastball sits at 85-87 mph and he compliments it with a slider, changeup and curveball. He locates all of his pitches well and his fastball the best, making it his go-to offering. With his advanced feel, he should move fast, but his lack of velocity will give him far less room for error as he advances. The 6-foot-4 Maloney has a tendency to stay upright in the finish to his delivery, causing him to leave the ball up in the zone, which could be a problem at higher levels. -
Things really fell apart for Liz shortly after he was called up from high Class A in July. He overpowered hitters in the Carolina League but his below-average command doomed him in the EL. He left his stuff over the plate and fell behind in the count too often. Liz has a lightning-fast arm that generates 97-mph heat, but he struggles to repeat his delivery and release point. His curveball is inconsistent, as is his changeup. At times, both show the potential to be plus pitches. His upside is significant, and 2006 was just his second season in America, so with time Liz could develop into a starter in the mold of Orioles righty Daniel Cabrera. At worst, he moves to the bullpen and could become a closer. -
Volquez entered the season rated as the Rangers' No. 1 prospect, based on his mid-90s fastball and well above-average changeup. He used those pitches to finish fourth in the PCL in strikeouts (130 in 121 innings) and fifth in ERA (3.21) while limiting Triple-A hitters to a .203 average. "His arm strength is outstanding," Sacramento manager Tony DeFrancesco said. "He was 94, 95 with his fastball against us. His slider was hard and he had a decent changeup. He just needs command. Right now, it's not there." Volquez, who ranked third in the PCL with 72 walks, had even more trouble locating his stuff in the majors. He has a 1-10, 9.20 record with Texas--the worst ERA in major league history for a pitcher who has made 10 starts. With the Rangers, he consistently has fallen behind hitters, gotten crushed when he has found the plate and failed to show a reliable breaking ball. -
Sonnanstine's stuff isn't as good as Niemann's or Talbot's, but unlike them, he played a role in Montgomery's success all season long. He reeled off nine straight victories in June and July, and he led the minors with four complete games--all shutouts. Durable and resilient, he topped the SL in wins (15) and innings (186, which ranked second in the minors). Sonnanstine's plus-plus control and plus command are more notable than the quality of his pitches. His best offering is his changeup, as he worked hard with Biscuits pitching coach Xavier Hernandez to perfect his grip and arm action. He also throws an 89-92 mph fastball and a slurvy breaking ball, keeping hitters off balance by varying his arm angle and changing speeds. "This guy might be too smart for the game," an AL scout said. "He's confident, mixes his pitches well and always seems to have a plan." -
Ramos wore down in his 2005 pro debut after pitching 126 innings at Long Beach State that spring, but he entered this season refreshed and it showed. He went 7-4, 2.93 over the season's first four months before fatigue set in once again, and he went 0-4, 8.27 in August. When he's at his best like he was in the first half, Ramos has very good command of a four-pitch mix. He has a solid-average fastball that sits at 88-91 mph and jumps up to 92-93 when he needs it, and he uses an average curveball and average slider. His best pitch is a plus changeup that's effective against righthanders. Ramos doesn't rack up many strikeouts, but works to all corners of the zone to keep hitters off balance. He left too many pitches up late in the season when his arm was tired. He has an easy, compact delivery and a physical 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame that should prove more durable as he gets acclimated to a pro workload. -
You're excused if you had never heard of Evans before this year. No one else had, either. He spent 3½ seasons in obscurity in the Cardinals organization, and he returned to high Class A for the third time to open 2006. He hit 15 home runs in 60 games there to earn a promotion to Springfield, and then he was traded to the Angels in the July for Jeff Weaver, which kept him in the Texas League at Arkansas. He finished the season with a combined 33 home runs, 37 stolen bases and a .942 on-base plus slugging percentage. Evans always had been regarded as a hard worker with an intriguing combination of power and speed. This season he developed a more relaxed, consistent approach at the plate that kept him from getting himself out by chasing pitches and going into prolonged slumps. Evans played exclusively in right field while in Springfield, but he played mostly in center for Arkansas. While he has the speed to play center on occasion, his strong arm and power profile perfectly in right. -
Chapman spent his third straight season in Rookie ball, but he showed enough this year to earn a late-season promotion to low Class A. PL observers liked his lefthanded bat, as he has good pitch recognition and uses the entire field. He should have at least doubles power as he advances, and he adjusted well after early-season struggles against southpaws. He's just an average runner, but has good instincts and can steal a base. He plays too shallow in center field, as balls get over his head and he doesn't always have enough speed to track them down. -
The proverbial crafy lefty, Salamida's success was too much for league observers to ignore. After dropping his first start despite not giving up any earned runs, he won his final 10 decisions in the regular season before losing to Kontos in the league championship game. Salamida led the NY-P in wins (10) and ERA (1.06). A two-way player at Division II SUNY Oneonta, Salamida has average size, average stuff and well above-average control, as well as a knack for pitching and moxie. His fastball sat in the upper 80s and touched 90, and he threw his changeup (his best secondary pitch) and slider for strikes with maddening regularity. He's the kind of pitcher who will have to prove himself at every level, but so far, so good. "Most guys in the league were one-pitch guys," Greer said. "This was a four-pitch guy who could throw breaking balls for strikes in fastball counts, then freeze a hitter with an 0-2 fastball. He was impressive." -
A year after being drafted in the fifth round out of high school and spending a summer in the Arizona League, Deal handled the jump to the Northwest League well and emerged as Vancouver's top starter. He struck out just 35 in 76 innings of work, but he doesn't ever figure to be a strikeout pitcher. He's a sinkerballer who posted a 106-80 ground-fly ratio and allowed just three homers in 76 innings. Deal has a tall, skinny frame with plenty of room to fill out, so he could increase the velocity on his 87-89 mph fastball that touches 91-92. It's a heavy pitch with good sink and life, and he commands it well most of the time. "He's very aggressive and he comes right at you," Gainer said. "Everyone knew he had that sinker and it didn't matter. He just got ground ball after ground ball." Deal also has a slider and changeup that can be average at times. He has cleaned up his arm action quite a bit since high school, and he now does a good job of repeating his fluid, easy delivery. -
The Yankees used McAllister in a relief role piggybacking with Betances, and they were a tough duo to beat. The son of Diamondbacks crosschecker Steve McAllister, Zach pitches with the savvy of someone who grew up around the game. McAllister has added six inches and 60 pounds over the last two years, and he saw his heavy sinker climb to 90-92 this spring before gaining another tick of velocity during the summer. His secondary stuff is fringy, though he has shown feel for a slider that could be a plus pitch if learns to control it more effectively. Like Betances, McAllister pitched better as the summer went on. "He has a good, sinking fastball. It's a power sinker. It's his No. 1 pitch," Martin said. "He got lots of ground balls, and I could see him throwing harder as he matures." -
In a league dominated by pitching, Casilla was one of the few middle infielders who stood out. Acquired from the Angels in the offseason for J.C. Romero, Casilla started the season in Fort Myers and finished it in Minnesota. At the plate, Casilla takes advantage of his plus-plus speed by employing a running, slashing swing. He profiles as a leadoff hitter. He controls the strike zone and makes pitchers work, and once he reaches base, he's always a threat to steal. He has a knack for getting good jumps and reading pitchers. His weakness at the plate is his utter lack of power. Casilla played both second base and shortstop with the Miracle, and he's more polished at short right now. He has above-average range and arm strength. He's still figuring out his footwork and double-play pivot at second base. "He's very intelligent," Boles said. "You tell him to do something one time, he puts it into the game that night. He makes adjustments very quickly." -
Part of the talented Salem rotation, Reineke earned the win in the California-Carolina League all-star game. He has an intimidating presence on the mound, using his 6-foot-6 frame to unleash 93-94 mph fastballs on an extreme downward plane. He also throws a plus slider, with late sweeping life Reineke was more free and easy in his delivery this season, showing better overall balance and staying on a direct line toward home plate. He still lacks much feel for his changeup, part of the reason he was moved to the bullpen following a promotion to Double-A. It has good diving action at times but he has yet to find a comfortable grip or consistency with it. -
Peguero teamed with Avila to give the Mariners a 1-2 punch unrivaled in the league. They tied with teammate Wellington Dotel for the home run lead with seven, and Peguero's .649 slugging percentage easily topped the AZL. He didn't fare as well after a promotion to short-season Everett, however, where his inexperience with breaking balls and somewhat long swing were exposed. Peguero has a big, projectable frame at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds and moves well for a big man, though he figures to slow down as he fills out. He showed more ability and willingness to use the whole field than Avila did, but he doesn't have quite as much raw power. Peguero's outfield arm is another plus tool. -
The fact that Chavez, at age 17 and in his first year as a pro, bypassed the VSL for Pulaski suggests how highly the Blue Jays regard him. While he held his own in the Appalachian League, he's all projection at this point. Chavez has done well to adapt to a new culture and will continue to gain strength, though he is already physical at 6-foot-3 and 200 lbs. His swing has come a long way in a year, but he's still prone to chasing pitches out of the zone and is too pull-conscious. He'll be a corner outfielder because he doesn't have the instincts or range for center field, though he has average speed and arm strength. -
Kelly succeeded 2004 first-round pick Trevor Plouffe as Beloit's shortstop, and MWL observers liked Kelly more. A 2005 second-rounder, Kelly has better physical tools and is a superior hitter. He kept getting better as the year wore on until a torn meniscus in his left knee ended his season in late July. Kelly is more advanced than most teenage hitters. He has a solid approach, recognizes breaking balls, uses the whole field and has a plan with two strikes. He didn't show much power this summer but will have some pop once he adds some strength and experience. He'll hit enough to be a regular, though at what position is uncertain. Kelly has fringe-average speed, which cuts down on his range, but his positioning and cannon arm--he was clocked at 94-95 mph as a high school pitcher--allow him to make plays. "I always judge a shortstop by if he has to use his arm or not," Beloit manager Jeff Smith said. "His glove is so good and he's always in position, so he never has to use it. And he has one of the best arms in the league, too." -
Pedroia is the classic example of a player who plays above his tools. Opposing mangers described him as a pesky hitter and a tough out, but had reservations about his lack of power and range. Pedroia got results in Triple-A, though, batting .305 (fifth in the IL) with 30 doubles and nearly twice as many walks (48) as strikeouts (27). Pedroia makes up for below-average speed and raw power by maximizing his selectivity as a hitter and by using the whole field. He showed an aptitude for taking the breaking ball the other way, and he has the hand-eye coordination to make consistent contact while using a big swing. "Pitchers will always challenge Pedroia, and he will prove them wrong," a scout said. "He will put the ball in play. He'll use the first-base and third-base line. He's a kid you love to have on your club." Pedroia was a shortstop at Arizona State and spent the majority of his time there for Pawtucket, but he doesn't have the range to be a regular there in the majors. He spent a lot of time at second base, and his sure hands and strong arm play better at the keystone. -
The fourth Greensboro starter on this list, Thompson ranks just behind Volstad in terms of polish but his stuff has the least upside among the group. Like Volstad, Thompson has above-average command of three pitches. His fastball sits consistently at 88 mph with natural tailing action, and he'll occasionally crack 90. His 80-81 mph slider is his best secondary offering. He also has a change with a late downward break that he uses as an out pitch against righthanders, and he'll flash a slow curveball to set up his slider. Because of his lack of velocity, command will continue to be paramount for Thompson. His fastball was clocked as high as 92 mph in high school, so there's also the chance he could get back to that point. -
Part of the Jim Thome trade with the White Sox, Gonzalez had a productive first full season in the Phillies system. He showed durability by logging a career-high 155 innings as a 20-year-old and finished second in the league with 166 strikeouts. Gonzalez has a repeatable delivery and quick arm, but he's just 5-foot-11, which hinders to create good plane on his fastball. It sits at 87-91 mph and touches 93, but it lacks life and gets pounded when he leaves it up in the zone. He surrendered 24 home runs, tied for the most in the EL. Gonzalez possesses a well above-average downer curveball that remains his go-to offering. His changeup is a reliable third pitch. Without a plus fastball and fringy command--he led the league with 81 walks--he might move to the bullpen in the big leagues. -
Easily the best catcher ever developed by the Rockies, Iannetta continued to shine at the plate following a promotion to Colorado Springs in late June. He controls the strike zone very well, waiting out pitchers until they give him a pitch he can hammer. He calls a good game and has an average arm, and while throwing out basestealers has been an issue at times, he erased 31 percent in Triple-A. "He really gives you quality at-bats for a catcher," Runnells said. "In fact, he led our organization in quality at-bats. Defensively, he's a sponge for knowledge and he tries so hard to improve. He's a humble kid and a guy who is going to be a frontline catcher for years to come." -
Signed as a third baseman out of the Dominican Republic for $600,000 in 1998, Salas was converted to the mound midway through 2004 after hitting .264/.296/.361 over six seasons. He hasn't looked back, putting up ridiculous numbers in the SL this season and adding a Futures Game appearance to his resume. He didn't allow an earned run in 35 innings with the Biscuits and reached the majors in September. Salas has equally ridiculous stuff, starting with a fastball that sits at 93-96 mph, topping out at 98. While the velocity is plus-plus, so is the movement. One scout described his heater as "the best 95-mph slider I've ever seen," as it has sharp, cutting action away from righthanders. Salas also throws an actual 86-87 mph slider that has more pronounced depth and life, and it can be equally as devastating. As good as those two pitches are, he's still learning how to attack hitters. His mechanics dissolve at times, as he flies open with his front shoulder and his arm gets too far away from his body. -
Deduno continued to be an enigma, finishing second in the Cal League to teammate Morales with 167 strikeouts, but also leading the minors with 34 wild pitches and finishing fourth in the minors with 92 walks. Clearly, command is his bugaboo, but when he's on, he's nasty. His best pitch is a sometimes plus-plus power curveball, and he also showed an above-average 92-94 mph fastball with so much movement that his catchers would sometimes struggle to catch it cleanly. "That breaking ball is devastating, but I don't know what to think of this guy," a National League scout said. "The breaking ball is unhittable when he commands it, but after two or three innings, he couldn't find the release point. He was lights out for three innings both times I saw him, then was an absolute thrower." Right now, Deduno is essentially a two-pitch guy who profiles as a potential dominant reliver if he can harness his stuff. He has a little feel for his changeup, but it has a long way to go if he's to remain a starter. -
McBeth continued one of the most intriguing turnaround stories in the minors this season, reaching Triple-A in his first full season as a pitcher. Drafted by the Athletics as an outfielder in 2001, he turned to pitching in 2005 after a career .233 average kept him from getting out of Class A. On the mound, he has shown not only the stuff but also the makeup to be a successful reliever. He throws a fastball that tops out at 94-96 mph, and he backs it up with a slider that's particularly tough on righthanders. A's pitching instructor Ron Romanick also taught him a changeup that has become a put-away pitch because he does such a good job of maintaining his arm speed. He has also worked on a two-seam fastball that could become an out pitch if he can learn to control it. McBeth challenges hitters. He needs to refine his command, but he should be no worse than a setup man and has the raw stuff to close games if he continues to make strides. -
The Rockies grew tired of Strop's struggles with the bat, and after he hit .212/.277/.299 in four seasons as an infielder, they decided a career change was in order. They moved him to the mound this year, and he immediately took to pitching. He dominated the Pioneer League in 11 appearances and continued to impress after a promotion to low Class A. As with many converted position players, arm strength is Strop's forte. He threw 93-95 mph in spring training and has good control of his fastball, though he leans too heavily on the pitch. He also has a low-80s slider but must stay on top of it more often so it doesn't flatten out, making him vulnerable to home runs. "I'd try to start him next year to add some pitchability to his plus stuff," Kotchman said. "If not, you know you have a solid reliever." -
Hilligoss' track record says he'll hit. He batted .404 and .386 in his final two seasons at Purdue, .309 with wood bats in the Central Illinois Collegiate League in 2005, and .292 in his pro debut to finish 10th in the NY-P batting race. One scout who saw Hilligoss as an amateur compared his swing, offensive potential and overall game to Frank Catalanotto. As with Catalanotto, Hilligoss' forté is getting the barrel of the bat to the ball consistently, driving balls to the gaps and driving pitchers crazy with an advanced two-strike approach. He also hangs in well against lefthanders and hit .397 against them this summer. The Catalanotto comparisons extend to Hilligoss' defense as well. Though he profiles best as an infielder, he doesn't have the hands or range to stick in the middle of the diamond. He's a better fit at third base, but he doesn't project to hit for the power wanted there or on an outfield corner. Hilligoss will have to hit for a high average to be a factor--and he has done that at every level so far. -
Bailey's workload at Wagner this spring was limited as he recovered from May 2005 Tommy John surgery, but the Athletics saw enough power stuff to draft him in the sixth round. He was very impressive in his pro debut despite his 2-5 record, and he would have ranked second in the NWL in ERA if he hadn't fallen three innings shy of qualifying. With a big, physical frame that invites comparisons to Joe Blanton, Bailey could develop into a workhorse as he gets further away from his surgery. His heavy sinker bores in on righthanders at 91-93 mph and touches 94-95. He also has a solid-average 11-to-5 curveball with good rotation and depth, and a developing changeup that could become an average pitch if he learns to command it more consistently. Bailey has an aggressive approach but remains more of a thrower than a pitcher. He struggles to repeat his arm path and delivery, which has a lot of moving parts, making it difficult for him to command the strike zone and execute his pitches. He sometimes gets distracted and tries to pitch too quickly with speedsters on the basepaths. -
Myers figured to complement a banner 2006 recruiting class at Southern California until he accepted a $250,000 bonus as a fourth-round pick in June. That he signed was somewhat surprising, but even more so was his performance in his debut. Considered toolsy but extremely raw, he made significant strides in his swing and approach and tied for third in the GCL in batting. Myers' swing gets long but he showed above-average bat speed at times. He needs to improve his plate discipline and work counts more efficiently. He's wiry strong, and though he rarely showed power in games, he could hit 12-15 home runs annually. His well above-average speed is his best tool. Myers played all three outfield positions in the GCL and has the range to stay in center field. His reads and routes are raw, while his arm strength is average. -
There's a lot not to like about Jose Mijares. Start with his 3.57 ERA as a reliever, which doesn't stand out. Take a look at his 5-foot-10, 220-pound body, which screams Rich Garces. Scouts have questioned his makeup and mound demeanor as well. But when he rears back and throws, it's hard to not get excited. When he was locked in, Mijares featured a 94-95 mph fastball and a filthy 77-78 mph slider that both ranked among the best in the league. He only showed that plus stuff in limited stretches, however. At other times, his velocity would dip to the low 90s and his command would fall apart. Part of the problem is that Mijares hasn't worked hard enough to stay in shape, which hampers his ability to repeat his delivery. He also has a below-average changeup that hasn't improved much because he rarely uses it when working out of the bullpen. He's a long ways from the majors, but the wait could be worth it. -
For a player in just his second season at shortstop after playing center field for much of his college career, Lillibridge is very advanced with the glove. He has outstanding range and first-step quickness, with soft hands and an above-average arm that allows him to make plays from deep in the hole. With well above-average speed, Lillibridge profiles more as a tablesetter than a run producer. He incorporates very little of his lower half in his longish swing, with a pronounced drift in his hands and his feet spread wide apart. He made some adjustments to shorten his stroke, and his plate discipline was exceptional during his first full season. Energetic and driven, Lillibridge was one of the most consistent players in the league. He drew rave reviews from managers for his grind-it-out style. -
While Van Stratten isn't a pure speedster like Royals outfield mates Robinson or Jarrod Dyson, he's quick, has plenty of tools and looks like a steal from the 10th round of the 2006 draft. He set a national junior college record with 14 triples this spring at St. Louis CC-Meramec, and hit seven more to rank second in the AZL. His mix of gap power and speed mix impressed managers. Van Stratten showed the ability to drop a bunt or to sting the ball to both gaps. His best tools are his bat, with a short swing and outstanding pitch recognition considering his experience, and his above-average throwing arm. His gritty, all-out approach also earned him praise. -
Ramirez made a strong U.S. debut, finishing among the Appy League leaders in average (.314), hits (72), doubles (20) and triples (five) after spending three years in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League. He has surprising pop for a 6-foot, 149-pounder, though he's more of a spray hitter now who takes the ball where it's pitched. He should add strength as he fills out. Ramirez spent most of the year at shortstop but also saw time at second base. He may profile better at second because while he has good range to his left, he has below-average range toward the shortstop hole. His footwork also needs improvement and he lacks the arm strength of a true shortstop. He's an average runner. -
When he was at his very best, Morlan ranked with the top pitchers in the league. One scout said Morlan turned in one of the three best performances he saw all year, along with Adenhart and Cueto. Cedar Rapids manager Bobby Magallanes said Morlan touched 97 mph in the ninth inning of an 11-strikeout complete game. He began the season in the bullpen, and that may be his long-term destination. His fastball usually sits in the low 90s but he's still seeking a consistent second pitch. He owns a mid-80s slider that shows flashes of bite and a developing changeup. Morlan has a quick arm and a smooth delivery that he repeats easily. He tends to drop his elbow, which causes his pitches to flatten out and arrive higher in the strike zone. He missed most of July with a sore shoulder but returned to pitch 22 scoreless innings over his final four starts. -
Bourn played for four teams this summer, ranging from Double-A Reading to the Phillies to Team USA, with perhaps his finest moment coming when he connected for two home runs in a victory against Cuba in the Olympic qualifying tournament. He spent just six weeks with Scranton, but made the most of his well above-average speed by stealing 15 bases in 16 tries and hitting seven triples, good for fourth in the league. Bourn has shown improvement with each promotion and he plays up to his strengths. He runs extremely well and is a smart baserunner capable of reading pitchers and using his raw speed. He has a good batting eye and projects as a solid-average major league hitter. He's also a plus defensive center fielder with a slightly above-average, accurate arm. His power is strictly gap-to-gap and is below average, but he can surprise opponents, as he did by taking Cuban flamethrower Pedro Luis Lazo deep. The Phillies want him to concentrate on hitting the ball in the air less and cutting down on his strikeouts, a byproduct of working deep counts. -
Like Cain, Campbell built on a 2005 MVP award in Rookie ball (the Appalachian League in his case) with a strong 2006 campaign. A student of the game who kept a notebook on the pitchers in the league, he applied that knowledge by leading the league with 22 homer. Campbell is an aggressive hitter who swings early in the count and rarely misses when pitchers make mistakes. He has ample pull power, but his open stance often leads to him flying open on the front side of his swing, making it hard to drive pitches to the opposite field. Though his speed is average at best, Campbell has good instincts and is an excellent baserunner with a knack for stealing bases when the opportunity arises. He's solid at third base but has a slow first step to his right. -
After a sensational first half in high Class A, Jurrjens moved up to the EL and continued to impress Tigers brass. He has thrown harder more consistently and shown more feel for pitching than Detroit anticipated when it signed him out of Curacao three years ago. Jurrjens' fastball ranges from 87-92 mph and touches 95, and he can spot it to both sides of the plate. His slider is below average, making his performance even more impressive considering he did it primarily off fastball command and a plus changeup. Jurrjens has a clean, simple delivery. Some scouts envision him moving to the bullpen, but if he develops a usable breaking ball, he could fill a role as a back-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues. -
Montero had a breakthrough season in 2005 and proved it was no fluke this year. He makes consistently hard contact with a short stroke and did a better job of using the entire field this season. He also does a fine job behind the plate, showing an average arm with a quick release to go with strong blocking and game-calling ability. "He really improved the second time we saw him," Brundage said. "He made some adjustments, especially on the offspeed stuff. He's a very aggressive hitter. But the thing I like most about him his is presence behind the plate, especially for such a young guy in this league. He has a good arm and seemed to call a good game." -
With older brother Corey traded to the Orioles last offseason, there will be no Patterson brothers reunion in Chicago. But Eric is getting close to ready for Wrigley Field, recovering from a second-half slump to bat .358 following a mid-August promotion to Triple-A. Patterson's best tool is his speed, which rates as a 65-70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He also has surprising power for his size, though he sometimes gets caught up too much in trying to hit homers. He has made strides in shortening his swing for a more gap-to-gap approach. Patterson's speed aids his range at second-base, though his first-step quickness and body control are a bit disappointing. His footwork around the bag is questionable, though he does have soft hands. -
Perez is a cerebral player, as one might expect from the highest-drafted player ever (seventh round, 2004) out of Columbia University. He learned how to switch-hit in the offseason, and while he struggled from the left side early in the year, he soon began hitting line drives and finished with a .303 average against righthanders. He's a dynamic player who led the minors with 123 runs scored. "He's a game-changer. You don't want to see him up in the ninth inning up by one or in a tie game, because he'll bunt, he'll slap one to left or hit it in the gap, and you're just praying you'll get the ball in fast enough before he gets to third," Steverson said. "He's just irritating. He roams the outfield like there are just floating pop-ups up there all day. I know for a fact he's taken 15 hits away from us." Perez has outstanding range in the outfield thanks to his plus-plus speed, though he's still working on his defensive instincts. He has a playable, if not strong, outfield arm. Perez has plenty of things to refine in his game--he strikes out too much for a top-of-the-order hitter, and he was thrown out in 16 of his 49 steal attempts--but he offers an intriguing leadoff package and enough strength at the plate to make him more than a one-dimensional Punch-and-Judy hitter.
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the International League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the International League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the Eastern League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Eastern League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the Eastern League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Eastern League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Eastern League in 2006
Career Transactions
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Chicago Cubs selected the contract of C Christian Bethancourt from Iowa Cubs.
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Chicago Cubs transferred RHP Ben Brown from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
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Chicago Cubs activated C Christian Bethancourt.
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Chicago Cubs placed C Tomás Nido on the 10-day injured list retroactive to July 25, 2024. Right knee sprain.
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RHP Alvaro Carrillo assigned to DSL Mets Orange.
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SS Omar Reyes assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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IF Charles Nova assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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RHP Jorge Herrera assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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OF Robinson Chacon assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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OF Raimel Medina assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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RHP Samuel Carmona assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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3B Alexander Orasma assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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RHP Jesus Oliveira assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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LHP Jose Mejia assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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C Sandy Ruiz assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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RHP Josue Lopez assigned to DSL Rojos from DSL Reds.
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Toros de Tijuana activated C Saul Garza from the reserve list.
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Toros de Tijuana placed 3B Aderlin Rodríguez on the reserve list.
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Toros de Tijuana activated RF Nick Williams from the reserve list.
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Toros de Tijuana placed LHP Zac Rosscup on the reserve list.
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RHP Yodrian Beltre assigned to DSL Red Sox Red from DSL Red Sox Blue.
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C Walfrent Guzman assigned to DSL Padres Brown from DSL Padres Gold.
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OF Ramses Velazquez assigned to DSL Padres Gold from DSL Padres Brown.
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IF Jason Hernandez assigned to DSL Padres Gold from DSL Padres Brown.
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C Estiven Giron assigned to DSL Padres Gold from DSL Padres Brown.
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2B Eduarlin Tejeda assigned to DSL Padres Brown from DSL Padres Gold.
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Guerreros de Oaxaca activated RHP Oscar Valenzuela from the reserve list.
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C Carter Jensen assigned to Northwest Arkansas Naturals from Quad Cities River Bandits.
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RHP Ben Hernandez assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies.
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Sultanes de Monterrey placed RHP Arturo Roque on the reserve list.
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Sultanes de Monterrey activated RHP Alexis Vera from the reserve list.
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Acereros del Norte placed LHP Elvin Liriano on the reserve list.
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Acereros del Norte activated RHP Jorge Tavarez from the reserve list.
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RHP Pablo Tellez assigned to Acereros del Norte.
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RHP Pablo Tellez assigned to Acereros del Norte.
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RHP Jorge Tavarez assigned to Acereros del Norte.
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Acereros del Norte placed RHP Jose Mora on the reserve list.
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LHP Dallas Keuchel elected free agency.
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C Kyle Hayes assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Omaha Storm Chasers.
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Worcester Red Sox activated RHP Grant Gambrell.
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FCL Twins placed RHP Bianger Liendo on the full-season injured list.
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FCL Phillies activated RHP Alan Rangel.
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Lehigh Valley IronPigs sent SS Rodolfo Castro on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies.
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Algodoneros Union Laguna activated RHP Marco Fregozo from the reserve list.
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Algodoneros Union Laguna placed C Gael Guzman on the reserve list.
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RHP Julio Ortiz assigned to FCL Blue Jays from Dunedin Blue Jays.
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LHP Luis Torres assigned to FCL Blue Jays from Dunedin Blue Jays.
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Tri-City Dust Devils sent C Alberto Rios on a rehab assignment to ACL Angels.
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Tri-City Dust Devils sent 3B Shane Matheny on a rehab assignment to ACL Angels.
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RHP Garrett Edwards assigned to Charleston RiverDogs from FCL Rays.
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Tampa Bay Rays optioned RHP Tyler Zuber to Durham Bulls.
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Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of RHP Tyler Zuber from Durham Bulls.
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DSL Arizona Red released RHP Maicol Carrasco.
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St. Paul Saints activated 3B Rylan Bannon.
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DSL Arizona Black released RHP Cristian Monegro.
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DSL Brewers 1 activated RHP Ever Urena.
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FCL Twins placed RF Gregory Duran on the full-season injured list.
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Dayton Dragons placed 3B Sal Stewart on the 7-day injured list.
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Iowa Cubs released LHP Thomas Pannone.
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Columbus Clippers placed RHP Zak Kent on the 7-day injured list.
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ACL Angels released OF Ramon Ramirez.
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ACL Angels released LHP Santiago Quintero.
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Inland Empire 66ers released LHP Mo Hanley.
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St. Louis Cardinals signed OF Bryce Madron.
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Reno Aces transferred RHP Josh Green to the Development List.
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Reno Aces transferred RHP Chris Rodriguez to the Development List.
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LHP Austin Cox assigned to Omaha Storm Chasers.
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Visalia Rawhide activated OF Druw Jones from the temporarily inactive list.
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Charlotte Knights activated SS Colson Montgomery.
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Indianapolis Indians activated RHP Aaron Shortridge from the 60-day injured list.
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Greensboro Grasshoppers activated SS Termarr Johnson from the temporarily inactive list.
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FCL Pirates activated RHP David Matoma from the 7-day injured list.
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RHP Alan Rangel assigned to FCL Phillies.
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Altoona Curve activated RHP Bubba Chandler.
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Peoria Chiefs activated RHP Osvaldo Berrios.
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Birmingham Barons activated LHP Noah Schultz from the temporarily inactive list.
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Oklahoma City Baseball Club transferred RHP Chris Vallimont to the Development List.
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Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Alan Rangel to a minor league contract.
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Toronto Blue Jays signed OF Carter Cunningham.
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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders activated RHP Scott Effross.
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Miami Marlins placed OF Dane Myers on the 10-day injured list retroactive to July 15, 2024. Left ankle fracture.
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Atlanta Braves signed RHP Owen Hackman.
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Atlanta Braves signed RHP Logan Samuels.
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Atlanta Braves signed LHP Jacob Kroeger.
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Atlanta Braves signed RHP Brett Sears.
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San Francisco Giants signed LHP Greg Farone.
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San Francisco Giants signed RHP Cade Vernon.
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San Diego Padres signed OF Darrien McDowell.
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San Diego Padres signed OF Kai Roberts.
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San Diego Padres signed 3B Jack Costello.
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San Diego Padres signed SS Zach Evans.
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IF Max Durrington assigned to ACL Athletics.
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LHP Fernando Silvera assigned to DSL Mariners.
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RHP Olivier Gomez assigned to DSL Mariners.
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Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Olivier Gomez to a minor league contract.
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Seattle Mariners signed free agent LHP Fernando Silvera to a minor league contract.
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Oakland Athletics signed free agent IF Max Durrington to a minor league contract.
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Texas Rangers signed free agent C Andrew Knapp to a minor league contract.
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Acereros del Norte placed RHP Jorge Tavarez on the reserve list.
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Indianapolis Indians sent RHP Aaron Shortridge on a rehab assignment to Bradenton Marauders.
