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Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Cornelio played high school ball in Colorado before spending three years at Texas Christian. His lone full year in the rotation was 2022, when he led the Horned Frogs in strikeouts. The Nationals drafted Cornelio in the seventh round in 2022, and he plodded through the Class A levels in 2023 and 2024 with high walk rates and bloated ERAs. He reversed course in 2025, finishing second in the system with both 135 strikeouts and 134.1 innings, mostly at Double-A Harrisburg. He reached Triple-A, won the organization’s pitcher of the year award and was added to the 40-man roster in November.
Scouting Report: Cornelio threw nearly 3 mph harder in 2025 than he had the year before, helping to key his breakthrough to the upper levels. He pitched at 94 mph in 2025 and topped out at 98, the result of tweaking his delivery and getting more of his body into his delivery. His four-seamer features riding and running action. Cornelio tightened his mid-80s slider and threw more strikes with it. It’s his go-to secondary pitch with cutter action that hitters don’t see well. His mid-80s changeup flashes average and helps him compete versus lefthanded hitters. Cornelio is an extreme flyball pitcher with fringy control, and advanced hitters will make him pay when he misses spots.
The Future: Cornelio could be a late-bloomer with future swingman or bullpen value, perhaps along the lines of what Brad Lord contributed as a rookie in 2025.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Liñan signed with the Dodgers out of Colombia in 2022. He pitched at Rookie ball for two seasons before reaching Low-A in June 2024. He opened back in the California League in 2025 but earned a quick promotion after striking out 44% of batters. Liñan continued pitching effectively at High-A when Los Angeles traded him along with Eriq Swan to the Nationals in the Alex Call deal at the deadline.
Scouting Report: Liñan is a shorter, stockier righthander with a mediocre fastball but an absolutely deadly offspeed pitch. He throws a high-spin changeup in the low 80s that behaves like a screwball and has been likened to Devin Williams’ famous “airbender.” It is thrown with an average of more than 2,600 rpm. Class A hitters whiffed at Liñan’s changeup on two-thirds of their swings, and it’s a highly effective two-strike chase pitch. He takes a long stride and gets great extension while delivering from a three-quarters arm slot, helping his low-90s fastball and mid-80s slider/cutter approach average. He is a fringy strike-thrower and doesn’t have a great option to his glove side.
The Future: Liñan’s physique and changeup-driven profile point to a future in the bullpen, where he can air out his fastball and lean more heavily on his change-of-pace.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 70 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Tejeda is a South Florida prep who spent one season at Florida and one at Florida State, often working as a reliever, before the Nationals drafted him in the 14th round in 2024. Given his lighter college workload, Tejeda opened his first pro season in 2025 at Low-A Fredericksburg. He struck out 74 in 78.2 innings with a 3.43 ERA over 16 starts. He advanced to High-A Wilmington at the end of July, but his season ended with what the Nationals describe as a minor injury after two starts.
Scouting Report: Tejeda is an extra-tall, wiry righthander who uses his 6-foot-8 height to his full advantage by getting down the mound with elite extension of more than 7 feet on all his pitch types. He is primarily a fastball/slider pitcher with a three-quarters arm slot and east-west attack that presents a tough look for righthanded batters. Tejeda pitches around 93 mph and topped out at 97 in 2025, with plus tailing action on his four-seamer and sinker. He throws a firm mid-80s slider with good depth and a low-80s sweeper version that features a foot of break. His mid-80s changeup can be an effective weapon versus lefties with its lower spin and fading action. Tejeda is a good strike-thrower despite his long levers.
The Future: If Tejeda’s stuff plays against lefthanded hitters and he can weather a full-season workload, he has the type of profile that could eventually fit as a No. 4 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Cruz is a Dominican Republic native who had an international free agent contract offer fall through. He then moved to Florida and played two prep seasons at Miami Christian School and was still 17 years old when the Cubs drafted him in the third round in 2024. Cruz made his pro debut the following season and batted .270/.314/.431 with two home runs and 10 stolen bases in 48 games in the Arizona Complex League. The Cubs dealt him to the Nationals at the 2025 trade deadline as part of the package for Michael Soroka. Cruz did not play after the trade.
Scouting Report: Cruz is a lean 6-foot-2 shortstop with room to fill out his frame and add power. He shows above-average power in batting practice and made plenty of hard contact in his ACL pro debut. He is a pull-oriented hitter who will sometimes leak out on his front side and lose his hitting base. In the field, Cruz has clean actions, an above-average arm and a good internal clock at shortstop. It’s possible he outgrows the position and moves to third base. He is an above-average runner who could slow down as he matures.
The Future: Cruz could develop into a power-over-hit major league infielder, possibly at shortstop, but his development will take time. He should open 2026 at Low-A Fredericksburg, where he will vie for playing time with fellow shortstops Eli Willits and Angel Feliz.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Cubs drafted Franklin in the fourth round in 2021 after three years at Arkansas. A torn patellar tendon in his left knee the following spring wiped out his season, but he returned in 2023 to play primarily at High-A and then rose to Double-A in 2024. Franklin was playing at Triple-A Iowa in 2025 when the Cubs traded him to the Nationals as part of the package for Michael Soroka. Washington added Franklin to the 40-man roster in November to shield him from the Rule 5 draft.
Scouting Report: Franklin is an undersized, righthanded-hitting outfielder with good instincts for the game, on-base skills and a likely future as a fourth outfielder. He hits the ball hard with a balanced swing that helps him make steady line-drive contact. He is a contact-oriented hitter who makes pitchers come to him with strong plate discipline and high walk rates. He owns a career .393 OBP in the minors. Franklin would be capable of hitting 10-plus home runs with a full season of play. He is an above-average defender at all three outfield spots with an above-average arm. He is an average runner who can steal the occasional base.
The Future: Franklin will be 26 years old in 2026 and will be ready for his first taste of the big leagues. He could fill a role similar to the one Alex Call occupied in 2025 as a righthanded-hitting, on-base-oriented extra outfielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Sime grew up in Queens and attended Brooklyn’s Poly Prep Country Day School, where he was recognized as the Gatorade New York player of the year as a senior in 2025. Pitching in the MLB Draft League in June, he recorded the first-ever 100 mph pitch in the five-year history of the league. Not that he needed any additional helium. Sime was already regarded as one of the hardest throwers among high school pitchers in the 2025 draft. The Nationals bought him out of an LSU commitment when they drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $2 million.
Scouting Report: Sime has a filled-out 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame with broad shoulders and a strong foundation. He looks the part of power pitcher, and that’s exactly what he is with consistent upper-90s velocity with a peak of 100 mph. Sime’s frame allows him to hold velocity, which he proved in a 100-pitch matchup against SoCal power Corona at the 2025 National High School Invitational. He throws a low-80s curveball that flashes average with 11-to-5 shape and bite. The Nationals like the running, sinking action on Sime’s mid-80s changeup and see it as a potential weapon versus lefthanded batters. Sime has an effortful delivery and deep arm action, so maintaining flexibility and keeping his mechanics on line will be key to refining present below-average control.
The Future: Sime’s long trek through the minor leagues begins in 2026. His goals will be building his workload and adapting his repertoire as needed.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Nationals signed Mota out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, and he spent the better part of three seasons in Rookie ball. Assigned to Low-A Fredericksburg out of spring training in 2025, the 20-year-old was the most productive regular on the team and one of the more productive in the pitcher-friendly Carolina League. Mota batted .270/.341/.409 with six home runs and 25 stolen bases in 81 games.
Scouting Report: Mota is a 6-foot-3 righthanded hitter with broad shoulders and a lanky but strong build. He has a hyper-aggressive hitting approach and likes to swing the bat. He has as much raw power as any Nationals prospect and has the exit velocity data to prove it. Mota’s 90th EV of 109 mph was one of the highest in the minor leagues in 2025. But he needs to be more selective to access even average power production, because his 2025 miss rate (39%) and chase rate (34%) are both prohibitive. Those factors contributed to a high groundball rate of 53%. Mota is a plus runner who has begun to amp up his basestealing aggressiveness. He has a chance to become an average defensive third baseman, thanks in part to his double-plus arm.
The Future: Mota took giant strides in 2025 but still has work to do to become even a second-division third baseman. Enhanced selective aggression would serve him well, because he has obvious 20-homer potential if he can identify which pitches he can drive in the air.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 40 | Arm: 70 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: After signing with the Rangers out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, Cabrera spent the next two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before moving stateside in 2024. He played a career-best 102 games in 2025—all at Low-A Hickory—and posted a .730 OPS. The Nationals acquired Cabrera as one of five prospects in their January 2026 MacKenzie Gore trade with the Rangers.
Scouting Report: Cabrera is a solid all-around player who does a little of everything but needs a bit more oomph on offense to project as an everyday player. The lefthanded-hitting Cabrera does a solid job controlling the zone and can put a charge into a ball every now and then but mostly fills his slugging percentage with doubles and triples. His best-struck drives have reached 110 mph and he does a solid job pulling the ball in the air, but he needs to show a bit more barrel accuracy in order to get the most out of his strength. He is also a non-factor against lefthanders, against whom he produced a .203/.329/.327 line with just two extra-base hits in 59 at-bats. Cabrera is a plus defender in center field thanks to strong instincts and plus speed and grades as the system’s best outfield defender. His arm is below-average, however, and he’ll sometimes rush through throws and sacrifice accuracy as a result.
The Future: Cabrera’s next stop will be High-A. If he can get more out of his hardest-hit balls, his stock will rise in kind. For now, he projects as a hitter who resides toward the bottom of a lineup and provides value on defense and on the bases.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Serrano was trending up as the Jan. 15 international signing period opening bell approached. The lean, 6-foot-3 outfielder signed with the Nationals for $1.97 million out of the Dominican Republic. Scouts regarded him as one of the better lefthanded hitters in Latin America this year.
Scouting Report: Serrano stands out for his easy, fluid swing. He uses his hands well, stays through the middle of the field and has enough power to occasionally leave the yard to his pull side. He has a hit-over-power offensive game but has plenty of space left to fill out and grow into bigger home run juice as he reaches his physical maturity. Serrano’s defensive instincts give him a chance to start his career in center field. He’s at best an average runner, which might ultimately push him to a corner. He gets good reads off the bat, takes crisp routes, moves around with ease and has an above-average arm.
The Future: The Nationals’ hiring of president of baseball operations Paul Toboni in October ushered in sweeping changes to the organization’s domestic scouting and player development apparatuses, but its international agreements have been in place for a while. Serrano looks like an astute signing and has the potential to develop into an everyday corner outfielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Lomavita played high school ball in Honolulu before serving as a three-year starter at California, the last two as primary catcher. The Nationals drafted him 39th overall in 2024, using the competitive balance pick they acquired from the Royals for reliever Hunter Harvey. Lomavita helped Low-A Fredericksburg win the Carolina League title in his first pro summer and then spent most of 2025 with High-A Wilmington. He hit just .275/.333/.364 with four home runs in 99 games, playing half his games in a brutal hitter’s park, before spending the final three series with Double-A Harrisburg.
Scouting Report: Lomavita is an athletic catcher who moves well behind the plate but has significant questions to answer about his framing ability and hitting approach. He likes to swing the bat and will follow the pitcher out of the zone, resulting in a lot of groundball contact and easy outs. Lomavita has the average bat speed and raw power to hit 10-plus home runs; it’s going to be about identifying pitches to hit and getting off his best swings. Behind the plate, he is a noisy receiver who needs to improve his framing to help gain strikes for his pitchers. He moves well laterally and blocks balls in the dirt. Lomavita has average arm strength that can be improved with more consistent throwing mechanics. He runs well for a catcher and can swipe the occasional base.
The Future: Lomavita is trending toward a role of bat-first backup catcher, but he has time to iron out his issues. The 2026 season will be just his third as a pro, and it’s one likely to be spent primarily at Double-A.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: German represented one of the best scouting-and-development stories in the Nationals’ system in 2025. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $400,000 in January, he adapted quickly to pro ball as one of the Dominican Summer League’s top performers. German batted .283/.479/.513 with eight home runs and 33 stolen bases in 53 games. His steals total ranked seventh in the DSL, while his .992 OPS ranked fourth among qualified 17-year-old peers.
Scouting Report: German is a 5-foot-10, switch-hitting middle infielder with a well-rounded game. He has a fluid swing from both sides of the plate and a good eye for the strike zone, as demonstrated by him accumulating 43 walks against 42 strikeouts in his DSL debut. German does a good job keeping the ball off the ground and elevating to his pull side when the situation warrants. He’s young and untested, but as he adds strength and exit velocity, he could grade as average for hit and power. German is an above-average runner and effective basestealer. His body type should allow him to remain on the middle infield, potentially at shortstop with an above-average arm.
The Future: German is part of a growing contingent of shortstops at the lower levels of the Nationals’ system. He should continue seeing time there and at second base and will be a top candidate to play middle infield in the Florida Complex League in 2026.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Morales’ father Andy played for the Cuban national team and reached Double-A as a third baseman for the Red Sox and Yankees. Yohandy starred at Miami for three years, hitting 20 homers as a junior in 2023, when the Nationals drafted him in the second round. He played at four levels during his pro debut that summer but was limited to 75 games in 2024 by a left thumb injury. Fully healthy in 2025, Morales spent most of the season at Triple-A Rochester and led the system with 31 doubles and ranked third with 15 homers and 57 walks.
Scouting Report: Morales is a physical, 6-foot-3 righthanded hitter with plus raw power and a buggy-whip swing he can use to drive the ball to right field. Many of his extra-base hits are struck to the middle of the field or the other way because he can wait on the ball and let his quick hands take over. He is an aggressive hitter with a longer swing who needs to rein in his chase rate to get the most out of his skills, especially in right-on-right matchups. A high strikeout rate cuts into his productivity. Morales is a below-average runner who has played more first base than third the past two seasons. He can make on-target throws from behind the bag at third base with an above-average arm, but his hands work better at first base.
The Future: Morales has a power-over-hit corner infield profile that means his outlook is dependent on extra-base production. If he hits at Triple-A, he should get an MLB look in Washington, which has no entrenched first baseman.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Nationals drafted Pinckney in the fourth round in 2023 following four years at Alabama. He reached Double-A briefly in his first pro summer and spent most of 2024 at the level, reaching Triple-A for 23 games. That season, Pinckney showed speed with 27 stolen bases but struggled to access his raw power and slugged just .362 in 137 games. The tide began to turn in 2025 when Pinckney hit 20 home runs and stole 34 bases in 125 games for Triple-A Rochester. He was one of just five 20-20 players at Triple-A.
Scouting Report: Pinckney has a wider array of tools than any Nationals prospect. He is the system’s best athlete with double-plus speed, plus raw power and a cannon of an arm. Accessing those tools is going to be the key. Toward that end, Pinckney improved his selective aggression in 2025. He reduced his swing rate and his chase rate, and he hit the ball harder than ever, improving his 90th percentile exit velocity from about 106 mph in 2024 to about 108 in 2025. It’s going to come down to the frequency and angle of contact, because Pinckney had high strikeout (29%) and groundball rates (51%) that will inhibit his hit tool. He has double-plus speed to leg out infield hits, take extra bases on gappers and steal efficiently. Pinckney is an adept defender at all three outfield positions and grades as above-average at each spot. His double-plus arm is a deterrent to baserunners. Of the 22 Triple-A outfield throws of 100 mph or faster in 2025, Pinckney made eight of them.
The Future: Pinckney is a late bloomer who didn’t play much during his first two years of college. He stuck with Alabama, though, because he was born in Tuscaloosa and has family there. Now, that determination is beginning to bear fruit in pro ball, where he profiles as an extra outfielder with power, speed and fielding skill.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 55 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 80 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Kent is a suburban Chicago prep who attended Arizona for two years, moving into the rotation in 2024 as a draft-eligible sophomore. The Nationals drafted him in the fourth round. Kent reached Double-A Harrisburg in the second half of his first pro season, and while his ERA ballooned to 4.61 on the season, he finished third in the Nationals’ system with 132 strikeouts and fourth with 123 innings.
Scouting Report: Kent is a physical 6-foot-3 lefthander who pitches in the low 90s and gets up to 95 mph while throwing one of the better changeups in the system. His velocity is up several ticks from even two years ago, and his four-seamer gets a boost in effectiveness from extension down the mound of nearly 7 feet. The resulting low release height helps make it a trustworthy strike pitch as he moves it around the zone. Kent’s low-80s changeup has tremendous fade to his arm side and he sells the pitch effectively. It’s a potential plus weapon. He needs to sharpen a low-80s slider and mid-70s curveball to enhance his unpredictability. Kent threw a fastball or changeup about 75% of the time in 2025. He has better feel to command his slider and it could be average with more power. Kent needs to do a better job throwing strike one and working ahead of batters.
The Future: The Nationals view Kent as perhaps their top competitor on the mound, giving him a good chance to pitch in a rotation one day, most likely toward the back.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: After watching him for three underwhelming seasons at Miami, the Rangers believed there was much more than met the eye in Rosario’s profile. They were right. In 2024, he dominated at two Class A stops and was one of the bigger breakout pitchers in the sport. Unfortunately, his progress was halted in 2025. A torn elbow ligament before spring training required Tommy John surgery, but the operation was delayed until 2026. As a result, he will miss all of the 2026 season as well. The Nationals acquired Rosario as one of five prospects included in their January 2026 MacKenzie Gore trade with the Rangers.
Scouting Report: The key to Rosario’s 2024 breakthrough campaign was the return of a splitter that had been shelved during his career in Coral Gables. The pitch was used as a north-south complement to his four-seamer. The Rangers also moved Rosario to the third-base side of the rubber to help his fastball play up another notch above its 97 mph average velocity. Both of those pitches graded as potential plus offerings, and his curveball checked in a tick lower at a 55-grade offering on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. As if Rosario’s pitch mix wasn’t impressive enough on its own, he pounded the zone relentlessly and looked like he had a chance to reach double-plus control. He finished the year with a 68% strike rate and got into a 3-0 count just once all year. In addition to the elbow injury, Rosario dealt with a shoulder impingement before the 2024 season.
The Future: Rosario’s standout performance in his lone pro season vaulted him onto the Top 100 Prospects, and a strong encore would have pushed him into a place among the game’s elite. Now, his career is on hold until he can recover from a series of issues that will wind up costing him two full seasons.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Split: 60 | Control: 70 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Petry was second-team All-America as a freshman in 2023, when he blasted 23 home runs for South Carolina. That would prove to be his highest single-season total, though he still mashed 54 homers and slugged .661 in three years of Southeastern Conference play. Petry might have topped Justin Smoak’s program record of 62 homers had he not missed time as a junior with a shoulder strain. The Nationals drafted Petry in the second round in 2025 and signed him for a slightly above-slot $2.09 million. He got into 24 games for Low-A Fredericksburg and then played in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: Petry is a physical, 6-foot-4 righthanded hitter with the plus bat speed to do serious damage when he connects. He is a welcome addition to a Nationals system largely devoid of power. Petry hits the ball as hard as virtually any Washington minor league hitter and could get to plus game power. He has a long swing and had a zone-contact rate of roughly 70% in his pro debut, factors that raise questions about his hitting ability. He does a good job laying off pitches out of the zone and will take his walks. Petry is a left fielder or first baseman all the way, with well below-average speed and merely playable range. He has an above-average arm.
The Future: Power production will determine Petry’s rate of progression and ultimate big league role. The potential for plus power exists if he can dial in his selectivity and contact.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Harmon threw the best fastball of any high school righthander in the 2025 draft class and trailed only lefthander Jack Bauer among all prep pitchers. Harmon helped pitch East Union High to a Mississippi 2A state title in 2025, the program’s second in three years. He was committed to Mississippi State before he aligned with the Nationals in the third round and signed for $2.5 million, a bonus akin to a top-40 overall pick.
Scouting Report: Harmon is a projectable 6-foot-5 righthander with long limbs and a high-waisted frame. He is tall, lean and flexible with a loose arm that generates easy velocity. Harmon sits in the mid 90s and has been up to 98 mph with riding life and late cutting action to his glove side. His delivery is clean and repeatable, and he throws strikes from a three-quarters arm slot and slight crossfire landing. Harmon’s fastball has double-plus potential and could top out at 100 mph one day, but his secondary pitches need more work. He throws a low-80s sweeper and a slider in the high 80s, both of which he can locate well for his age. Refining them into above-average pitches will be a key development goal. He occasionally throws a low-80s changeup that will be another point of emphasis. Adding strength to his frame and testing his stuff against professional hitters to see what needs to be tweaked are the next steps.
The Future: High school righthanders are among the most volatile draft commodities. Harmon has a great foundation for the Nationals to build upon, as they did with Travis Sykora from the 2023 draft, but it will be years before the righthander’s full potential comes into focus. The Nationals will likely hold Harmon back in extended spring training, as they did Sykora, before assigning him to the Florida Complex League or Low-A Fredericksburg in 2026.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Sweeper: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: If not for shin splints he contended with as an Iowa junior, Petersen had a chance to be drafted a bit higher than the eighth round in 2024. That’s where he landed with the Nationals, who signed him for a slot value bonus of $230,900. Petersen saw action in seven games for Low-A Fredericksburg after signing but got a late start to his 2025 season after dealing with a hamstring injury. He reached High-A Wilmington on June 5 and then played in the Arizona Fall League after the season to add at-bats.
Scouting Report: Petersen has a strong, 6-foot frame and a hard-nosed playing style. The Nationals have helped coax greater exit velocity out of his righthanded bat, while giving him a chance to prove himself in center field after he played mostly left in college. Petersen hits the ball with authority to all fields with a line-drive approach. He takes aggressive swings and is beginning to take shots to his pull side, with the potential for above-average power. His max exit velocity increased to 110 mph with wood after reaching 109 in 2024 with metal. Petersen does well staying within his zone and keeps strikeouts in check, but his zone-whiff rate of nearly 27% could curtail his production against more advanced pitchers. He is an above-average runner out of the box who is faster underway. His baserunning savvy is apparent in his 18-for-18 showing on stolen bases for Wilmington. Petersen is an average center fielder with a below-average arm that might limit him to left field.
The Future: Petersen was one of the top performers in the South Atlantic League while healthy, which is notable given that Wilmington suppresses home runs like few minor league parks. He showed the potential to be at least a fourth outfielder and potentially a regular if his power and speed continue to play. Petersen is ready for Double-A.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: James is a veteran of USA Baseball who played for the gold medal-winning 15U National Team in 2022 and for the 2023 18U National Team as an underclassman. As a senior in 2025 he won Gatorade North Carolina player of the year honors by hitting .605 with nine home runs for Davie County High. James had top-three rounds talent in the 2025 draft and wound up signing a bonus commensurate with a top 40 overall pick when the Nationals paid him $2.5 million in the fifth round. He worked out at the organization’s West Palm Beach, Fla., complex after signing but did not get into an official game.
Scouting Report: James makes hitting look easy with a loose, whippy righthanded swing and an ability to find the barrel. He makes a ton of hard, line-drive contact with strong hand-eye coordination and a compact swing. James hits velocity and does a good job using all fields to keep defenses guessing. He should grow into 20-homer power based on his feel to hit and present strength, but he doesn’t have much projection remaining in his 6-foot, 185-pound frame. James has sure hands in the batter’s box and is a reliable shortstop, but he might be stretched to play the position professionally. He’s an average runner with ordinary range in the field and an average arm that could be stretched on the left side of the infield. James’ time at other positions should increase as he moves up the ladder.
The Future: Many scouts see James as a bat-first second or third baseman capable of hitting for average, getting on base and delivering average power. The Nationals will have to find playing time for a cadre of young shortstops in 2026 that also includes Luke Dickerson, Angel Feliz and 2025 first overall pick Eli Willits, so it wouldn’t be surprising if James begins in the Florida Complex League.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Nationals in recent years have had mixed results in international free agency. They have gotten limited production from Dominican shortstop Armando Cruz and Cuban outfielder Cristhian Vaquero, their top signees in 2021 and 2022, but players from the 2024 and 2025 signing classes offer hope. That includes Feliz, a Dominican shortstop who signed for $1.7 million in 2024. He played well in the Dominican Summer League in his debut, then turned in a fine season in the Florida Complex League in 2025. Feliz finished third in the FCL with 51 hits and seventh with 69 total bases before moving to Low-A Fredericksburg for 31 games to finish his season.
Scouting Report: Feliz is a strong-bodied, 6-foot-3 shortstop who hits the ball hard for a teenager. His tall, rangy frame could add more good weight as he matures, which, combined with his bat speed, gives him a chance to grow into above-average power. He competes in the box with a slightly open stance and tracks pitches well for his age. Feliz hits the ball where it’s pitched on a line but must continue proving himself against velocity, especially on inside pitches. His ability to hit to all fields with authority suggests a future average hit tool or better. Feliz is a well below-average runner who has acceptable range at shortstop as a teenager but could outgrow the position as he matures. His above-average arm would fit at third base if he has to move, and he already has pro experience at second base.
The Future: Feliz can do a little bit of everything, except run, at a young age, but he risks falling into more of a reserve profile unless his power takes a step forward. The Nationals praise his leadership and poise, so they are optimistic that his game will develop.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Fitz-Gerald is the son of Todd Fitz-Gerald, the long-time head coach of Stoneman Douglas High, the South Florida power whose big league alumni include Anthony Rizzo, Jesús Luzardo, Roman Anthony and Coby Mayo. The Rangers drafted the younger Fitz-Gerald in the fifth round in 2024 and used a $900,000 bonus to sign him away from a commitment to North Carolina State. In his first season as a pro, Fitz-Gerald was one of the most polished players in the Arizona Complex League before earning a midseason bump to Low-A Hickory. Unfortunately, his time in full-season ball was limited to just 10 games by a left shoulder strain he suffered diving for a ball. The Nationals acquired Fitz-Gerald as one of five prospects in their January 2026 MacKenzie Gore trade with the Rangers.
Scouting Report: Given Fitz-Gerald’s background in the game, it’s not surprising that he was one of the most polished players in Rookie complex ball. Scouts saw a player without a plus tool but with a wide array of skills. He controls the strike zone well and finished the year with an excellent zone-miss rate of 11.6% and an overall miss rate of just 18.6%, and he hit well from both sides of the plate. Despite a smaller build, Fitz-Gerald has above-average raw power that he could tap into more often with a bit more barrel accuracy and more balls in the air. Defensively, Fitz-Gerald could be fringe-average on the field—most likely at second base—because of limited athleticism and a wider lower half. His speed is likely to wind up as below-average, but he has the kind of instincts that should allow him to steal 12-15 bases a year.
The Future: After an offseason to recover, Fitz-Gerald will likely return to Low-A in 2026. He has the skills and polish to be a long-term big leaguer who mostly plays second base but can fill in at third or the outfield.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: The Nationals bet big on Dickerson in the second round of the 2024 draft, taking the New Jersey prep two-sport athlete—he also starred in hockey—in the second round and going way over slot to sign him for $3.8 million. That was nearly double the slot value for the 44th pick. Dickerson debuted in the Florida Complex League in 2025 but stayed just six games before the Nationals promoted him to Low-A Fredericksburg. He hit well for the first 20 games but his production tapered off and he finished his time in the Carolina League with a .204 average, 25% strikeout rate and five home runs in 83 games.
Scouting Report: The Nationals got an incomplete look at Dickerson in his first full season because he played through a wrist injury. Despite that mitigating factor, he grinded through a full season and showed plus bat speed and aptitude to drive the ball for power to his pull side on occasion. Like many young hitters, Dickerson will need to hone in on his strike zone and make more contact in the zone and avoid chasing out of it. He can get too passive at times. He hits the ball hard enough consistently enough to provide at least average power, while his quality swing decisions should make him an above-average hitter. Dickerson is a solidly-built, 5-foot-11 athlete who moves well on the infield and can convert routine plays at shortstop. He is a plus runner but doesn’t have classic shortstop range, and his arm is borderline for the left side of the infield. Dickerson saw time at second base late in the season, and some scouts have floated center field as a possible destination.
The Future: Scouts who like Dickerson view him as a potential big league second baseman with solid all-around tools with enough hitting ability and power to play regularly.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: King starred at Division II Wingate for two years before the Nationals drafted him 10th overall out of Wake Forest in 2024. In his pro debut, King helped lead Low-A Fredericksburg to the 2024 Carolina League title. He got off to a slow start with High-A Wilmington in 2025 but recovered to reach Double-A Harrisburg on June 3. King showed speed with 30 stolen bases in 125 total games but hit just .244/.294/.337 with six home runs and a 32-to-116 walk-to-strikeout ratio. His bat showed improved life in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .359/.468/.563 for a 1.031 OPS that ranked 10th in the league.
Scouting Report: Despite King’s poor results in his first full season, scouts remain optimistic about his future because of his overall athleticism and twitch, enhanced by his enthusiasm. Early in the season, he appeared to be selling out for power by trying to pull the ball in the air, which spiked his strikeout rate. King reverted to a more dynamic hitting style by putting aggressive swings on pitches in all parts of the zone and hitting to all fields. He maintained strong exit velocities in 2025, even if hits weren’t falling. King has strong bat-to-ball skills but needs to be more selective after an alarming chase rate of 37% in 2025. Some would like to see him move his contact point forward and with a swing coming from a lower slot to avoid excess groundball contact. If he can make things work, King can be a solid-average hitter with fringe power or better. He is a double-plus runner and efficient basestealer. King played more third base and center field at Wake Forest, but he settled in as a reliable everyday shortstop with an above-average arm. He has the athletic ability to adapt at the position and learn its nuances.
The Future: King has interesting tools and the athleticism to stay up the middle. He could be a few tweaks away from realizing his offensive potential and becoming a solid regular.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: The Guardians drafted Clemmey out of a Rhode Island high school in the second round in 2023, going nearly $1 million over slot to sign him for $2.3 million. Cleveland dealt him to the Nationals at the 2024 trade deadline as part of the package for Lane Thomas. Clemmey logged 116.2 innings in 2025 and led all Nationals minor league pitchers with 136 strikeouts but also 73 walks. He reached Double-A Harrisburg in mid-August and saved his best work for last, when he posted a 2.04 ERA with 15 strikeouts and five walks in his final 17.2 innings.
Scouting Report: Clemmey’s exciting stuff gives him the potential to become a top overall lefthanded pitching prospect. It will come down to control, after he walked more than 14% of batters in 2025 to rank 11th-worst among minor league pitchers with at least 100 innings. The 6-foot-6, long-limbed Clemmey has worked hard to streamline and repeat his mechanics, and his zone and strike rates on his fastball continue to creep upward. Opposing hitters have a hard time seeing his 93-94 mph four-seam fastball that reaches near 98. His arm slot and low release height make his heater difficult to square up for batters of both hands. He upped his sinker usage in 2025 to introduce a new wrinkle. Scouts would like to see him improve his fastball command to his glove side. Clemmey’s mid-80s slider has plus potential but wasn’t the same type of swing-and-miss weapon as it had been at Low-A in 2024. He threw many more changeups in 2025 to develop the high-80s pitch with above-average potential and good fade to his arm side.
The Future: Clemmey exudes confidence and is a strong competitor with the athleticism to continue improving his command, which will determine his future role. He has the raw talent to become a No. 3 or 4 starter or potentially a high-leverage relief weapon.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Entering the 2025 draft cycle, Fien had earned a reputation as one of the best prep hitters in the class. The California native hit .400/.429/.680 for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2024, which included a who’s who of the following year’s first-rounders. The Rangers drafted Fien 12th overall and used a $4.8 million bonus to sign him away from a commitment to Texas. His official pro debut consisted of 10 games for Low-A Hickory. The Rangers traded him to the Nationals in January as the headliner of the six-player MacKenzie Gore exchange.
Scouting Report: Part of the reason the Rangers were so comfortable calling Fien’s name with their first pick was because of the long history he had developed with area scout Steve Flores. That relationship, plus Fien’s stellar track record, made the choice easy. At the plate, he does a good job discerning balls from strikes, limits his chase rate and uses a short, quick swing to help him catch up to premium velocity. As an amateur, Fien drew skepticism from scouts for his swing because of the way he holds his hands and a stiffer bat path than is typical for a player with his kind of production. Defensively, he has plenty of work to do to remain on the infield. Already big and physical at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, his frame and footwork could fit better at third base than shortstop. He has a plus arm. Fien also got some experience at first base during his high school career, but he’s already been in the lab with Rangers infield coordinator Kenny Holmberg to improve his chances of staying on the left side. Fien is a below-average runner and likely won’t be better than fringy no matter where he lands on defense.
The Future: Fien will likely return to Low-A in 2026 to begin his first full season as a pro but could hit his way to High-A by season’s end. His ceiling is as an offensive-minded third baseman who provides most of his value in the batter’s box.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: Sykora had top-two-rounds talent in the 2023 draft coming out of Round Rock High. When he slipped to the Nationals in round three—but still signed for late first-round money—he used the perceived slight as motivation. Sykora unleashed his fury on Carolina League batters in 2024, leading all Low-A pitchers with 129 strikeouts in 85 innings. He had surgery on the labrum in his hip in the offseason and got a late start in 2025. After Sykora missed time with a triceps injury in July while at Double-A Harrisburg, he later developed a UCL tear in his elbow. Sykora had Tommy John surgery in August.
Scouting Report: Sykora idolizes Texas pitching icon Nolan Ryan, and like The Ryan Express, he uses a power approach consisting mostly of a high-octane fastball and a devastating breaking pitch. Sykora pitches at 95-96 mph with his four-seam fastball and tops out at 99. He compensates for average fastball shape with strong extension and pure velocity. The pitch should continue to play as Sykora recovers from TJ. He improved the horizontal life on his low-80s slider, which gets up near 87 mph, and he threw the pitch for strikes at a high rate. He also threw it more than his fastball in 2025. Sykora’s mid-80s splitter tumbles and fades to his arm side with consistently low spin rates. Sykora needs to tighten up his fastball command to different parts of the zone, but his wandering control is typical for a young power pitcher and will likely improve.
The Future: Given that he had TJ late in the 2025 season, Sykora probably won’t be at full strength again until 2027, when he will still be just 23 years old. His stuff and control make him a candidate to be at least a No. 3 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: The Mariners were drawn to Ford’s elite athleticism out of high school when they drafted him 12th overall in 2021. Seattle put Ford on a methodical trajectory of a level per year, and he spent almost all of 2025 with Triple-A Tacoma, where he slashed .283/.408/.460 with 16 homers and nearly as many walks (74) as strikeouts (88) before making his big league debut in September. While he got only six at-bats for Seattle, Ford soaked up valuable experience as the Mariners’ third catcher through their October postseason run. After the season, Seattle traded Ford and righthander Isaac Lyon to the Nationals for power lefty reliever Jose Ferrer.
Scouting Report: Ford made a key adjustment at the plate in 2025 by incorporating a toe tap to improve his timing while continuing to use his signature two-hand finish. That change led to the best season of his career. Ford’s 16 Triple-A homers were a career high. He posted nearly identical in-zone whiff and chase rates as he did in 2024, while maintaining above-average exit velocities. Ford has long been regarded as a plus runner, which is unusual for a catcher, but he ran less frequently in 2025, stealing just seven bases on 11 attempts after swiping 35 bags in 2024. Ford has long faced questions about his future position, even though he has played just eight games in the outfield as a pro. Scouts noted real defensive progress in 2025 and believe his once-fringy receiving now has a chance to become average. Ford has a strong, albeit sometimes inaccurate, throwing arm and threw out 23% of basestealers in 2025.
The Future: Ford faced a future in Seattle blocked by all-star Cal Raleigh. Now, he has a much clearer path to playing time in Washington, where he has a good chance to win a share of the catcher job alongside Keibert Ruiz, who is locked into a team-friendly deal through the 2030 season.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 40 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: After he signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 out of Venezuela in 2019, Perales quickly started generating buzz thanks to a quick arm that unleashed mid-90s fastballs. His development proceeded slowly in part due to elbow discomfort in both 2021 and 2022, but a solid 2023 campaign served as a prelude to an early breakout in 2024, when a broader mix resulted in a 39% strikeout rate at High-A and Double-A. However, Perales had Tommy John surgery in June. He added significant strength while rehabbing, and when he returned to games in September 2025, he showed triple-digits velocity even as he worked to regain command. In December, the Red Sox traded Perales to the Nationals for 25-year-old lefthander Jake Bennett.
Scouting Report: Perales has a bazooka. He sat 98-101 mph in his brief return to the mound in 2025, with 17 to 20 inches of ride. His fastball can be a swing-and-miss weapon when he keeps it in the zone, but his ability to do so was inconsistent. He more reliably located his low-90s cutter—a pitch that contributed to his 2024 breakout—and that pitch may end up being his primary offering, with the four-seamer looming as a putaway pitch. His gyro slider and splitter have depth to stretch the zone vertically, but for now his splitter is too often non-competitive below the zone. The development of his splitter as a reliable weapon, not to mention improved control to leave hitters on the defensive, will dictate whether he’s a starter or a late-inning reliever.
The Future: If Perales can harness his stuff in the zone, he has the upside of a No. 3 starter. Otherwise, his future will be as a leverage reliever. He’ll compete for a big league bullpen spot in 2026, but more likely will open the year in the Triple-A rotation.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 45 | Cutter: 60 | Split: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: The Nationals’ Juan Soto trade with the Padres is the gift that keeps giving. CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and James Wood are already established in Washington. Susana is next. He ended 2024 on a roll, with a 2.79 ERA and 123 strikeouts in his final 77.1 innings, mostly for High-A Wilmington. Susana opened 2025 at Double-A Harrisburg but never really got going before he lost nearly three months with a sprained elbow. He looked electric upon his return in July but then injured his right lat and had season-ending surgery in September.
Scouting Report: Few pitchers can match the electricity of Susana’s repertoire. He pitches at 99-100 mph with his four-seam fastball and tops out near 104. The pitch is delivered at a lower release height, which, coupled with its incredible velocity, compensates for ordinary shape. Susana’s 99 mph two-seamer tops at 102 and has plus horizontal life. It helps him change batters’ eye levels and elicit groundballs. His mid-80s slider has become a devastating pitch as he has harnessed command of it. He manipulates the pitch to produce curveball action at lower speeds and power slider movement up to 91 mph at the other extreme. Susana found a power changeup grip that works in 2025. The pitch has splinker-like action with sink and diving action at 93-94 mph and up to near 97. Susana took major strides with his mental preparation and physical conditioning, and he now throws more quality strikes than ever. He flies open at times and misses east and west, so true command could be elusive.
The Future: The Nationals’ media guide lists Susana at 6-foot-7, 283 pounds, calling to mind a pair of jumbo-sized all-stars: starter Michael Piñeda and closer Felix Bautista. The Nationals will give Susana every chance to start, where his pitch quality could make him a No. 2 or 3 starter. He is expected to be ready to go by midseason at the earliest.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/Average
Adjusted Grade: 50
Track Record: Willits was originally slated to graduate from Fort-Cobb Broxton High in 2026, but the Oklahoma prep reclassified to become draft eligible in 2025. Doing so made him one of the youngest players available in his draft class, and when the Nationals selected the shortstop first overall, he became the youngest player ever drafted 1-1 based on baseball age. Willits was 17 years, six months and 21 days old on June 30 of his draft year, younger even than the youngest 17-year-old top overall picks such as Ken Griffey Jr., Bryce Harper and Carlos Correa. Willits is the son of former big leaguer Reggie Willits, a switch-hitting outfielder who played six seasons for the Angels. These days, Reggie serves as associate head coach at Oklahoma, where his oldest son Jaxon is the Sooners’ shortstop. Eli had committed to Oklahoma before he signed for $8.2 million, which was nearly $2.876 million under slot for the No. 1 pick. Willits got the cachet associated with being drafted first overall; Washington freed up bonus pool money to apply toward signing high schoolers Landon Harmon, Miguel Sime Jr. and Coy James in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. Willits signed on July 19 and saw action in 15 games for Low-A Fredericksburg. He hit .300, drew seven walks and stole two bases while handling shortstop in 14 of his appearances.
Scouting Report: Willits is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound switch-hitter with a chance to make an impact in every facet of the game with his hitting, running and fielding ability at shortstop. The hallmarks of his offensive game are his bat-to-ball skills—he struck out just a handful of times as a high school senior—and swing decisions that fuel an above-average hit tool. Willits showed sharp zone-contact skills in his pro debut while recognizing pitches and staying in his strike zone with a low chase rate. He hits all different pitch types, while his balanced, line-drive stroke from both sides of the plate allows him to use all fields. If Willits adds good weight to his frame and develops his lower half, he should improve his below-average exit velocities and find at least average power as he learns to hunt his pitch to inflict damage. He is a plus runner who not only poses a basestealing threat but runs the bases efficiently. Willits’ body control, range and above-average arm stand out in the field, where he is a no-doubt shortstop. He appears to have the “it” factor and the poise necessary to draw in teammates and emerge as a team leader.
The Future: Willits’ well-rounded profile makes him the Nationals’ likely shortstop of the future. That future could arrive as early as at some point during the 2028 season, following two-plus solid development years in the minor leagues. Willits will be just 20 years old in 2028, which, barring an extension, will also be the final season of club control for shortstop CJ Abrams in Washington.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Marlins signed Duran out of Venezuela for $450,000 in January 2021 and the Blue Jays acquired him as the third piece in the Jordan Groshans trade alongside Anthony Bass and Zach Pop. After spending parts of two seasons with Low-A Dunedin in 2023 and 2024, Duran returned to the level in 2025. Duran was promoted to High-A Vancouver after the all-star break and participated in the Arizona Fall League but was unimpressive.
Scouting Report: A glove-first catcher who took a few years to get his legs under him as a professional, Duran shows average bat-to-ball skills with a fairly aggressive approach in the box. Duran’s ability to avoid strikeouts is his carrying tool offensively. He shows below-average exit velocities and flat launch angles, leading to lots of topspin and groundball contact. Duran is not a runner and grades as a 30 runner long term. Behind the plate, Duran shows above-average skills as both a receiver and blocker and he began employing a one-knee stance in 2025. He will show a plus pop time and is quick out of the crouch, but his throwing accuracy is below-average and needs work. Duran’s advanced catching and contact skills give him backup catcher upside.
The Future: Duran fits a quintessential backup catcher’s profile with an above-average glove and the ability to make contact.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Coleman spent four seasons pitching mostly out of the bullpen for LSU but struggled mightily with command and experienced very little success. The Dodgers drafted him in the 16th round in 2023, but Coleman decided not to sign and headed back to school. Coleman then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Blue Jays in 2024 and made his pro debut in 2025, pitching purely in relief.
Scouting Report: Coleman is a lefthander power reliever with a three-pitch mix who saw a tremendous improvement with his strike-throwing in 2025. He works entirely from the stretch with a longer arm action and a true three-quarters slot. Coleman mixes three pitches in a four-seam fastball, slider and splitter. Coleman’s fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with 17-19 inches of induced vertical break on average from a 5-foot-6 release height. His fastball was a plus bat-missing pitch in 2025 and generated lots of swings and misses. Coleman mixes his slider and splitter nearly evenly. He throws the slider versus lefthanded hitters and the splitter versus righties. The slider sits 85-86 mph with cutter shape and he shows average command of the pitch. His splitter sits 82-84 mph with true splitter shape and an element of unpredictability in how it breaks—it’s Coleman’s best bat-missing pitch.
The Future: Coleman looks like a one-inning middle reliever.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Split: 60 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Messina family had a notable night on draft day in 2024, as Carson and his older brother Cole were both drafted. The Blue Jays selected Carson in the 12th round and signed him for $550,000. Messina was assigned to the Florida Complex League where he made one appearance before going down with right elbow inflammation. Messina missed the rest of the season but was back throwing by the end of the regular season.
Scouting Report: Messina threw just two innings as a professional and not much has changed in a year. His arm swing is moderate in length as he delivers the ball from a three-quarters slot. Messina mixes four pitches in a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. The four-seam fastball sits 91-93 mph with ride and some late bite. The curveball is Messina’s best pitch and his go-to swing-and-miss weapon. It sits in the low 80s with big downer break and late bite. His mid-to-upper-80s slider is cutter-like and was thrown more his last year as an amateur. Messina’s low-80s changeup is a fringe-average pitch that will flash average at its best. Messina’s control is below-average and will need to be tightened if he continues to start.
The Future: Messina has the upside to be a No. 4 starter but will need to prove he can stay healthy and throw enough strikes.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 30/Low
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Padres signed Valenzuela for $100,000 from the Mexican League in July 2017. Valenzuela spent seven seasons in the Padres’ system, producing subpar results at the plate. The Padres traded him to the Blue Jays for infielder Will Wagner at the 2025 trade deadline. Valenzuela spent the final two months with Triple-A Buffalo and was added to the Blue Jays 40-man roster after the season.
Scouting Report: The switch-hitting Valenzuela is a glove-first catcher without a lot of offensive upside. Valenzuela’s righthanded swing is better than his lefthanded swing, leading to average results against lefthanded pitching. He shows below-average contact skills with an advanced approach that should lead to at least an average walk rate. There will be a fair amount of strikeouts as Valenzuela is a well below-average contact hitter against righthanded pitching. He hit 15 home runs in 2025 and shows fringe-average game power. To Valenzuela’s credit he has average exit velocity data with lofty launch angles. Behind the plate he’s a plus defender with an above-average arm that keeps runners in check.
The Future: Valenzuela has the perfect backup catcher skill set, with split-dependent success and plus defense and provides Toronto catching depth they’re sorely lacking. He could see a solid amount of MLB time in 2026 as a ready-made backup catcher and defensive fill-in.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Blue Jays drafted Florida prep star Barriera with the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, signing him for $3.6 million. Considered one of the top lefthanded pitchers in the class, Barriera’s professional career is yet to get off the ground. In his three-plus years since turning pro, Barriera has thrown a total of 27.1 innings. After dealing with shoulder, elbow and biceps injuries in 2023, Barriera tore his UCL in his first start of 2024 and had hybrid Tommy John surgery. Barriera returned to action in June of 2025 only to fracture his ulna during his rehab.
Scouting Report: It’s difficult to know how much the injuries over the last three seasons have impacted Barriera. Depending on his health in any given outing his velocity can have wild swings. He’s sat between the low- and mid-90s over the last few seasons. Whether or not Barriera can make it through a season healthy is up for some debate. When Barriera was healthy in 2025 his pitch mix looked a little different than it did pre-injury. He came back throwing a low-to-mid-90s cutter as his primary pitch and mixed in his signature mid-to-high-80s slider with moderate sweep. Barriera’s four-seam fastball sat 95-96 mph with heavy cut.
The Future: Barriera still has back-of-the-rotation or high-leverage relief upside. The question is: Can he finish a season healthy?
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 60 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Macko grew up in Slovakia and learned to pitch by watching YouTube videos. He moved first to Ireland and then Canada where he entered more formal baseball training. The Mariners drafted him in the seventh round in 2019 and he was traded to the Blue Jays in November 2022. Macko has dealt with numerous injuries over the years and missed the first month of the 2025 season recovering from a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Scouting Report: Macko is an undersized lefthander with an innate feel for spin and a deceptive arm action. He has a longer arm action and short stride to the plate, raising the release height on his higher three-quarters slot. Macko mixes four pitches in a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball sits 92-94 mph with below-average shape and extension, but he controls the pitch well. Macko’s mid-80s cut-slider is his best pitch, as he shows plus feel and ability to generate whiffs against it in and out of the zone. His curveball is purely a chase pitch sitting in the mid 70s with high spin rates and two-plane break. Macko’s changeup has good separation off of his fastball but he shows poor command for the pitch.
The Future: Macko looks like a low-leverage reliever who will throw a high rate of breaking balls.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: The Blue Jays signed Jennings for $70,000 in the fourth round out of Louisiana Tech in 2022. He dealt with an elbow injury in 2023 and was limited to 43 innings in his debut. In 2024, after beginning the season as a starter with Vancouver, Jennings was moved to the bullpen late in the season with Double-A New Hampshire. The 2025 season was his first as a full-time reliever. He made 45 appearances between Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo.
Scouting Report: Jennings was a good strike-thrower over the first few years of his career, but that backed up in 2025 as he struggled to land his pitches in the zone. Now a relief-only prospect, Jennings let it air out in the bullpen as he saw his fastball velocity jump to 95-96 mph with erratic control. Jennings’ slider went from a pure gyro slider in 2024 to a harder cutter style slider in 2025. It was a good change for Jennings as he generated lots of whiffs against the slider. He throws a curveball at 83-84 mph with slurvy shape as his third pitch that sees an increase in usage against lefties. Jennings throws a mid-to-high-80s changeup with splitterish traits but it’s used infrequently.
The Future: Jennings will fit into middle relief nicely where he can miss bats with a pair of breaking ball shapes and a mid-90s fastball.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: McAdoo was first-team All-Mountain West Conference as a sophomore and junior at San Jose State. Questions around his defense and hit tool dropped him to the Pirates in the 13th round in 2023. He broke out in 2024 with High-A Greensboro and was traded to the Blue Jays at that year’s trade deadline for Isiah Kiner-Falefa. McAdoo spent all of 2025 with Double-A New Hampshire and started the year in brutal fashion before turning it around over his final 83 games, where he hit .270/.339/.463.
Scouting Report: McAdoo is a physical slugger who added speed to his repertoire in 2025 as he stole a career-high 34 bases. McAdoo’s combination of power and running ability gives him high upside but his unrefined hit tool and aggressive approach cap his in-game power production. McAdoo has well below-average bat-to-ball skills with a fairly aggressive approach. He doesn’t chase at a high rate, but he does expand the zone while at times being too passive on strikes. When McAdoo does connect he shows plus contact quality with strong exit velocities and loft at the point of contact. McAdoo is an average runner but gets excellent jumps and reads on the bases going 34-for-40 in 2025. McAdoo is a below-average defender at third base with an above-average arm.
The Future: McAdoo could blossom into a second-division regular with a more refined hit tool.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The son of former three-time all-star Sean Casey, Jake underperformed over his first three seasons at Kent State, and had Tommy John surgery in 2024. He broke out in 2025, hitting .356/.500/.736 with 17 home runs and 20 stolen bases. The Blue Jays selected Casey in the 15th round and signed him for $150,000. He debuted following the draft with Low-A Dunedin and impressed, hitting .281/.439/.531 over 23 games.
Scouting Report: After three underwhelming seasons with Kent State, Casey broke out in 2025 finding a level of power he had not previously shown. Casey shows average bat-to-ball skills with somewhat passive swing decisions. He is a great fastball hitter but does show some struggles against spin. Casey shows fringe-average power but good launch angles on contact. His ability to hit the ball in the air consistently allows his power to play up to average. Casey is an above-average runner, capable of running plus run times on jailbreaks to first. Casey can play all three outfield positions. He’s average in center field but is above-average in a corner. He shows good hands, routes and reactions in the outfield and his plus arm will allow him to make any needed throws while keeping baserunners honest.
The Future: An underrated senior sign, Casey looks like he could develop into a second-division regular if his hit tool translates.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Miles showed more promise as a position player in the early days of his amateur career, but quickly blossomed once he started pitching. The Giants drafted Miles in the fourth round in 2022 and signed him for $347,500. He has pitched just 7.1 regular season innings since 2023 thanks to a back injury and then Tommy John surgery. He made up for some of that lost time in the Arizona Fall League. After Miles was left unprotected for the 2025 Rule 5 draft by the Giants, he was selected by the Blue Jays with the 27th overall pick.
Scouting Report: Miles shows a powerful pitch mix led by four-seam and sinking fastballs in the mid 90s. He backs them with a nasty, downer curveball with 11-to-5 shape that he can bury for chases at the end of at-bats. He also has a changeup, but it mostly takes a back seat to the rest of his mix. He pounded the zone in the Fall League, punching out a dozen and walking just one. Miles’ delivery is effortful, and scouts in the AFL noted that he sometimes had trouble driving the ball down in the zone and that his current mechanics might put undue amounts of stress on his shoulder.
The Future: Miles will work as a one-inning reliever with the stuff to fit in middle relief, but he’ll need to stay healthy.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Keys broke out as a junior at Bucknell and hit .405/.535/.798 with 13 home runs and was named Patriot League player of the year in 2024. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $569,700. He was assigned to High-A Vancouver to begin 2025 and spent the entire season with the Canadians and hit .217/.365/.408 with poor batted-ball luck throughout the season.
Scouting Report: Keys’ bat-first profile didn’t translate to his statline in 2025, but the underlying data and scouting feedback tells a different story. Those who saw Keys reported on a player with strong bat-to-ball skills, feel for the strike zone and the ability to impact the baseball. The underlying numbers back the quality of Keys’ hit tool as he showed above-average contact and approach in 2025. Keys’ hands are fairly stiff, leading to an unusual look to his follow through and at times leads to too steep of angles. The launch comes in handy on Keys’ best hit drives, as he shows the ability to hit his hardest balls in play at his best angles. Keys shows above-average underlying power and the ability to hit the ball to his pull side. It’s possible Keys breaks out at the plate in 2026. A below-average runner, Keys has limited range at third base and started to see more time at first base in 2025. He has an above-average arm at third.
The Future: Keys fits into the second-division regular role but he’ll need to hit to overcome his lack of defensive value.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Born in New Zealand, Bucknam moved to Canada in his youth and was drafted by the Blue Jays out of high school in 2021. He didn’t sign and instead made it to campus at LSU, but after two seasons with the Tigers he entered the transfer portal and committed to Dallas Baptist. In his single season at DBU, Bucknam took the role of the Patriots’ ace and made 16 starts while striking out 80 batters in 62.1 innings. The Blue Jays selected Bucknam in the fourth round and signed him for $678,300.
Scouting Report: Bucknam is an undersized righthander with little remaining projection but good strength throughout his frame. He uses a shorter arm action with a higher three-quarters slot. It’s a simple operation with few moving parts but some recoil following release. Bucknam mixes four pitches in a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. His fastball sits 93-94 mph and touches 96 mph with average ride. It’s a fringe-average pitch, and his command of it is also fringy. Bucknam’s slider is his best pitch and his most-used pitch against righthanded hitters. The slider is an 86-88 mph gyro that gets into the low 90s and generates bad swings as an effective put-away pitch. Bucknam’s curveball sees higher usage against lefties in the 83-85 mph range with more downer shape. He also throws a fringy and firm upper-80s changeup.
The Future: Bucknam fits the role of a depth starter who feeds hitters a steady diet of secondaries.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Kasevich was a star at Oregon, earning first-team all-Pacific-12 Conference honors as a junior. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2022 draft, and signed for $1 million. Kasevich’s 2025 was delayed by a stress reaction in his lower back. He returned to action in May, but suffered a wrist injury on a rehab assignment and missed the next two months. Kasevich returned to Buffalo in mid-August and struggled over 29 games to end the season. He made up time after the season in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: Kasevich’s ability to put the bat on the ball has always been his carrying tool. His contact skills remained plus in his injury-plagued 2025 season. He’s still a patient hitter who’s likely to get on-base at a high rate. The back and wrist injuries clearly impacted Kasevich’s ability to impact the ball, as his 90th percentile exit velocity dropped by three mph year-over-year. Kasevich had below-average power to begin with, so the decrease in impact led to worse results. It’s possible a fully healthy Kasevich sees his impact return. Though the sample is small, Kasevich’s swing added loft during his 2025 sample which will be something to watch early in 2026, if his impact returns. Kasevich is an above-average runner but his speed translates more toward his range in the field than basestealing. Kasevich has an above-average glove but his below-average arm likely means he fits best at second base.
The Future: Kasevich will look to get back on track in 2026 and prove he’s still a potential regular.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Perez was an under-the-radar $10,000 signing for the Blue Jays in 2022. A native of Nicaragua, Perez was identified after reviewing scouting footage from a tryout where goats roamed around in the background, earning Perez his nickname: “The GOAT.” While Perez is unlikely to be mistaken for Tom Brady, he has been productive in four professional seasons. Perez began 2025 with High-A Vancouver, making 20 starts before he was promoted to Double-A on August 15th.
Scouting Report: One of the best strike-throwers in minor league baseball over the last few seasons, Perez’s game is driven by his plus-plus control. Perez’s 70.5% strike rate was the third-highest in the minors among pitchers who threw 1,000 or more pitches in 2025. Perez throws four pitches and throws all of them with regularity throughout his starts. Perez mixes a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball. Perez shows excellent command of his fastball allowing it to perform despite its below-average shape and velocity. Added velocity or movement would go a long way in improving Perez’s profile. His 81-84 mph changeup is his most frequently thrown pitch and he’ll use it against lefties and righties. His slider sits 82-84 mph with gyro shape, and isn’t much of a bat-missing pitch but does a good job of driving grounders. Perez’s curveball sits in the upper 70s with slurvy break, but he shows great feel for the pitch.
The Future: Perez is a fringy back-end starter whose below-average stuff plays up due to his plus-plus control.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 70 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Piasentin was the top Canadian prospect in the 2025 class, and the Blue Jays dialed up some home cooking when they selected him in the fifth round. He signed for $747,500, enough to buy him out of a Miami commitment. Piasentin is one of the more notable prep sluggers from the western provinces, joining Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill and Rays catcher Nathan Flewelling.
Scouting Report: While Piasentin is no standout athlete, he does have a strong and projectable build with fluid movements throughout his game. Piasentin is already physically mature but looks like he could add 10-15 pounds of good weight. Piasentin sets up slightly open at the plate, utilizing a toe-tap mechanism. When he gets into two-strike counts, he shortens up his swing, ditches the toe tap and his stride for a wider base and a quick pivot. Due to the strength of his hands he’s still able to drive the ball from his two-strike approach. Piasentin pairs fringy bat-to-ball skills with a fairly passive approach. The power in Piasentin’s game is not up for debate. He naturally generates plus-plus bat speed and power, posting impressive exit velocities and hitting majestic fly balls on his best struck drives. Piasentin is a below-average runner who’s likely to have little impact in the running game. He’s a corner infield profile and there’s some question about his ability to stick at third base. Corner outfield could be an alternative where his plus arm strength would play.
The Future: Piasentin is a high-upside corner infielder who could develop into an everyday regular with above-average power.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Red Sox signed Bastardo for $35,000 in 2018 out of Venezuela as a raw pitcher who flashed promising traits. He began 2024 with Double-A Portland and pitched better than his ERA, striking out 26% of hitters. On June 4, he blew out his elbow and had season-ending Tommy John surgery. After the Red Sox left Bastardo unprotected for the 2024 Rule 5 draft, the Blue Jays selected him with the sixth overall pick. He did not appear in a game for the Blue Jays in 2025 and is expected to return in 2026.
Scouting Report: Bastardo is an undersized righthander with big velocity and fringy strike-throwing abilities. He has an athletic operation with some effort in his arm action and throws from a three-quarters slot with a crossfire finish. Bastardo sits 95-98 mph with a four-seamer that has moderate ride but lacks deception. He upped his secondary usage with the Red Sox and throws a mid-80s changeup with good vertical separation from his fastball that he locates well and plays up to its bat-missing upside. Bastardo’s primary breaking ball is a low-to-mid-80s gyro slider he shows great feel for that missed a fair amount of bats in Double-A in 2024. The curveball, a clear fourth pitch, sat in the low 80s with downer break and is an effective strike stealer. Bastardo shows below-average control.
The Future: Bastardo is a bit of a mystery. He was on a starter’s trajectory until his injury and now might be headed to the bullpen upon his return.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Bullard was a pop-up name who gained helium late in the spring among Texas area scouts. A Texas A&M commit, Bullard was considered a difficult signing, but the Blue Jays went well over-slot in the 12th round and signed him for just under $1.7 million. Bullard was older at the time of the draft, turning 19 a month after signing.
Scouting Report: Bullard is a plus-plus athlete who’s easy to dream on. His frame suggests strength gains, and his quick-twitch mechanisms shine in all parts of his game. Bullard is a switch-hitter but his lefthanded swing is far ahead of his righthanded swing. Despite the athletic switch-hitting profile, there’s some swing and miss to Bullard’s game, particularly on soft stuff. Bullard offsets some of that with a well-balanced approach at the plate. His game is predicated on putting the ball in play and using his speed to push for extra bases. Bullard’s game power is projectable despite flatter angles and a general lack of loft in his swing. He will likely hit a lot of ground balls early in his career, but some added strength onto Bullard’s 6-foot-2 frame could see him get to 10-14 home runs at peak. A plus runner, Bullard’s speed translates to the outfield where he’s above-average in center field with an average arm. It’s a tooled-up profile with a raw and unrefined hit tool.
The Future: Bullard has the ceiling of a switch-hitting table-setter with above-average defense in center.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Blue Jays signed Arias out of Venezuela in August 2019. Over the first five years of his professional career, Arias moved slowly. Assigned to High-A Vancouver out of camp in 2025, Arias hit .294/.381/.437 over the first 66 games before he was promoted to Double-A on July 18. Arias was placed on the injured list in the final week of the regular season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Scouting Report: A diminutive but muscular player, Arias took large steps forward in each of the last two seasons and flashes a variety of exciting tools. He has a fringe-average hit tool with a moderate amount of swing-and-miss in the zone and chase outside of it. A slight improvement to either contact or selectivity would likely push his hit tool to average. Arias is an explosive swinger who produces plus exit velocity data, demonstrated by his 106.5 mph 90th percentile exit velocity in 2025. His in-game power plays down because of a flatter swing and tendency to top-spin everything to his pull side. Arias does show his best angles on balls 95 mph or higher, which is a good sign. For now, Arias has fringe-average game power but could get to average or better with some tweaks. Arias is a plus-plus runner, but that doesn’t translate to high stolen base totals. He’s an average defender in center field with a lot of range.
The Future: Arias is most likely a fourth outfielder capable of providing speed and defense. If he adds loft to his swing, there’s everyday regular upside.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Hechavarria signed out of Cuba in 2024 for $240,000. Just four days after signing his contract, he pitched in his first affiliated game in the Dominican Summer League. He moved stateside to begin 2025 and made four appearances in the Florida Complex League before he was promoted to Low-A Dunedin. Hechavarria pitched in 11 games for Dunedin and posted a 1.90 ERA over 47.1 innings with 53 strikeouts to 11 walks.
Scouting Report: Hechavarria is a tall righthander with a strong lower half and an easy and free moving operation on the mound with a three-quarters slot. His pedestrian three-pitch mix plays up because of his strike-throwing. Hechavarria throws a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 98 with average ride and late, heavy armside run. It’s not a huge bat-missing pitch but Hechavarria does a good job getting chases when he elevates it above the zone.He throws an upper-80s cut-slider with ride and heavy cut. His ability to tunnel it off of his four-seam fastball made it a highly successful whiff inducing pitch in 2025. His changeup is a mid-80s splitter-like offering with average vertical separation off the fastball. Hechavarria throws all his pitches for strikes at a well above-average rate and shows plus control.
The Future: Hechavarria looks like a potential No. 5 starter but will need to prove his average stuff will play at the upper levels.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Pinango signed with the Cubs in 2018 for $400,000 out of Venezuela and debuted the following summer. He broke out in 2024 but was traded to the Blue Jays before the trade deadline for righthander Nate Pearson. Pinango began 2025 with Double-A New Hampshire, hitting .298/.406/.522 over 47 games and earning a promotion to Triple-A on June 1st.
Scouting Report: While Pinango has worked to improve his athleticism and running ability, he’s still a bat-first player with physical limitations in the outfield. Pinango shows above-average bat-to-ball skills that are heightened by a selective, almost passive, approach at the plate. He’ll take too many hittable pitches down the heart of the plate. This approach leads to walks and Pinango’s bat-to-ball skills are such that he shows the ability to flip the switch in two-strike counts, putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts. Pinango has plus-plus raw power demonstrated by his outstanding exit velocity data. He has plus-plus bat speed that produced a max exit velocity of 115.4 mph in 2025. Unfortunately Pinango’s launch angles are actually flatter on his batted balls clocked at 95+ mph. Adding loft will be imperative to Pinango’s future success. If he can there’s 25+ home run power to unlock. Pinango is a below-average runner and poor outfielder. He’s likely to always be a liability in the field.
The Future: Pinango is a bat-first player with the ability to hit in the majors but no true defensive position and little value outside his hitting.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 40 | Field: 30 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: After three seasons at Lafayette College, Bloss transferred to Georgetown in 2023 and won Big East Conference pitcher of the year honors. He was drafted by the Astros in the third round in 2023 and began his first full season in 2024 at High-A Asheville. Bloss dominated, earning a promotion to Double-A Corpus Christi by May. After four starts, Houston called Bloss up directly from Double-A on June 21. Bloss exited his MLB debut with shoulder discomfort but returned in early July to make two starts. The Astros traded him to the Blue Jays as a part of the Yusei Kikuchi deal at the 2024 trade deadline. Bloss made six starts for Triple-A Buffalo in 2025 but struggled with his control before requiring season-ending UCL surgery in May.
Scouting Report: Bloss has a prototypical pitcher’s build with the size expected of a starter. He begins from a semi-windup with a high leg lift before driving down the mound with plus extension, which improves the plane on his fastball and allows him to create more ride than expected from his high three-quarters arm slot. Bloss mixes five different pitches, throwing four-seam and two-seam fastball variants, a slider, curveball and splitter. Bloss’ four-seam fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with true ride-cut shape. It’s an above-average offering and his most heavily used pitch. Bloss reworked his slider in 2025 by showing a baby sweeper shape with around 7-8 inches of sweep. He ditched his sweeper for a high-70s curveball with heavy two-plane break. He altered his changeup to use a splitter grip in 2025 and added more armside run to the pitch. Bloss struggled with the Triple-A zone but projects for average command.
The Future: Bloss should return to action in the second half of 2026 and looks like a No. 4 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Cook redshirted as a freshman at Southern Mississippi and then played sparingly as a two-way player as a sophomore. A lefthanded thrower, he dropped pitching heading into 2025 and put together a strong season as an outfielder, hitting .350/.436/.468 with 19 extra-base hits as one of the toughest players to strike out in college baseball. The Blue Jays drafted Cook in the third round and signed him for $922,500.
Scouting Report: One of the best athletes in the 2025 draft class, Cook is an excellent mover who made rapid improvements as a hitter in his platform season. He is a lefthanded hitter with an inside-out swing who looks to hit inside the baseball and spray line drives to the opposite field. This approach means Cook rarely swings and misses, and he ran a 4% swinging-strike rate with Southern Miss in 2025. Despite his contact-centric profile, Cook shows above-average on-base skills with a good balance of patience and aggression. His power is well below-average and isn’t a major part of his game. He hit three home runs with Southern Miss but has good size and enough bat speed to grow into 8-12 home run power. He’ll likely collect a majority of his extra bases hitting the ball to the gaps and using his top-of-the-scale speed. Cook is an 80-grade runner who consistently will show home-to-first run times of 3.8 seconds. However, he is a poor basestealer and was caught on five of eight attempts with Southern Miss. His speed translates to the field, where he’s a plus center fielder capable of covering large swaths of ground in the outfield. The former pitcher has a plus arm.
The Future: Cook has many tools but is more raw than other college draftees. He has the attributes to develop into an everyday center fielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 30 | Run: 80 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Sanchez signed with the Blue Jays out of the Dominican Republic for $997,500, the second-highest bonus in their 2025 class. He made his debut in the Dominican Summer League a few months later and was one of the standout performers on the circuit. Sanchez hit .341/.439/.565 with eight home runs and ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the league.
Scouting Report: A large, physical slugger standing 6-foot-3 with plenty of space to add muscle and strength to his frame, Sanchez already shows in-game power with plus bat-to-ball skills. In 2025 he missed pitches in the strike zone just 10.8% of the time and ran solid underlying swing-decision metrics. Sanchez is prone to expanding the zone at times, which leads to whiffs. When he stays inside the zone and looks to do damage on pitches over the plate, he produces hard barrels all over the yard. Sanchez shows plus raw power, having hit a ball 115.8 mph in 2025. Sanchez already shows the ability to pull the ball hard and in the air and produces a high rate of barrel contact. He projects to grow into a plus power hitter at peak with elite high-end exit velocities and the ability to get to them in games. Sanchez is a fringe-average runner who will likely slow down as he matures. His lack of range and questionable actions likely mean a permanent move to third base in the future. He’s a natural fit for third base with an above-average arm capable of making all the necessary throws.
The Future: Sanchez has the tools and requisite bat-to-ball ability and power to grow into an above-average third baseman with peak seasons featuring 30 home runs. He’s viewed as one of the top players coming stateside in 2026 and should play in the Florida Complex League.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Schreck struggled as a senior at Duke in 2022 after hitting 18 home runs in 2021 and transferred to Vanderbilt for his graduate student season in 2023. The Mariners drafted Schreck in the ninth round in 2023 and signed him for $75,000. Schreck began the 2024 season with High-A Everett and earned a promotion to Double-A weeks before the 2024 trade deadline. He was traded to the Blue Jays for veteran third baseman Justin Turner. Schreck split his 2025 season between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting a combined .249/.395/.459 with 18 homers across both levels. He missed a month in the middle of the season with a hand injury.
Scouting Report: A well-rounded player with strong plate skills and the ability to fill in at all three outfield positions, Schreck proved that his contact skills and approach were no flukes in 2024. He replicated his plus zone-contact rate and swing decisions at Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. Schreck rarely expands the zone and uses an aggressive approach on strikes, leading to lots of contact. His ability to discern balls from strikes is his greatest asset, leading to clear plus plate skills. Schreck saw a jump in his exit velocity data in 2025 and hit a career-high max exit velocity of 111.9 mph. He shows the ability to hit the ball hard in the air to his pull side, optimizing his average underlying power. Schreck is likely to hit 15-18 home runs annually while providing solid batting averages and high on-base percentages. Schreck is an average runner who saw time in all three outfield spots in 2025. He is below-average in center field but better suited for a corner, where he is closer to average.
The Future: Schreck looks like a second-division regular with a bat-driven profile.
Scouting Grades Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Stanifer signed for $125,000 as an Indiana prep pick in the 19th round of the 2022 draft. After spending 2023 in the Florida Complex League and making 19 appearances for Low-A Dunedin in 2024, Stanifer broke out in a big way in 2025. Stanifer spent the first seven weeks of the season as a piggyback starter in tandem with top prospect Trey Yesavage and was promoted to High-A Vancouver alongside him on May 19. He moved into the rotation at High-A and was promoted to Double-A on Sept. 5 and made two starts.
Scouting Report: Stanifer stands 6-foot-3 with a broad-shouldered, muscular build and little in the way of remaining projection. He works exclusively from the stretch with a high leg lift that contracts into his body before he drives toward the plate. He’s a short-strider with a short arm action and releases the ball from a three-quarters arm slot. Stanifer mixes a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. His four-seam fastball sits 93-96 mph with plus ride and heavy armside run. Despite a lack of extension, Stanifer creates a deceptively flat plane of approach to the plate, leading to impressive whiff rates against the pitch. His primary secondary pitch against righthanders is a low-to-mid-80s slider that looks like a harder curveball with heavy vertical drop. His slider is a plus bat-missing pitch that generated elite whiff rates in 2025. His changeup is his go-to secondary in off-handed matchups. Stanifer shows average feel for his changeup, but its primary function is driving weak grounders, not generating whiffs. Stanifer shows fringe-average control across his arsenal.
The Future: Stanifer carries a fair amount of relief risk but showed the ability to start over the final three months of the 2025 season and has No. 4 starter upside.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: The Blue Jays drafted Tiedemann in the third round out of junior college in 2021 and signed him for $644,800. He dominated in his 2022 debut, starting in Low-A and reaching Double-A in his age-19 season. Tiedemann was limited to just 61.1 innings in 2023 and 2024 because of persistent elbow pain. He had Tommy John surgery in late July 2024 and missed all of 2025. The Blue Jays added Tiedemann to the 40-man roster following the 2025 season and plan to slowly ease him back into game action in 2026.
Scouting Report: Despite a physical, 6-foot-4 build, Tiedemann has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career. When Tiedemann is healthy and locked in, his arsenal plays up due to his low three-quarters arm slot. His arm swing is long, but it helps him hide the ball, creating deceptive traits. Since his initial elbow injury in 2023, Tiedemann has struggled to consistently repeat his mechanics and release point. He mixes a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with heavy armside run that plays up due to his arm slot. In 2024, Tiedemann generated less armside run on his fastball compared to previous seasons, possibly a product of his lingering elbow injury. Tiedemann’s slider is his most-used secondary weapon. It has had varied shapes over the seasons, showing traditional break in 2023 and more sweeper action in 2022 and 2024. When at his best, Tiedemann shows the ability to use his slider against batters of both hands, wearing out the armside half of the plate. His changeup was viewed as his best secondary as an amateur, but it has become less effective in pro ball.
The Future: Tiedemann will likely see a heavy dose of relief work in 2026 as he builds up his workload, but his midrotation upside remains.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: In the months leading up to the 2025 draft, no player had more helium than Parker. A four-year varsity starter for Purvis High in Mississippi, his impressive performance at East Coast Pro in 2024 got the hype train to leave the station. The Blue Jays drafted Parker with the eighth overall pick in 2025 and signed him for just under $6.2 million. He didn’t debut following the draft but did participate in unofficial bridge league games. Parker’s birth name is Joseph, but he goes by JoJo. His twin brother Jacob is an outfielder who played for Purvis and attends Mississippi State.
Scouting Report: Parker is a physical shortstop who stands 6-foot-2 with a strong, muscular build and room to add more strength. He was one of the older players in the 2025 high school class but shows arguably the best balance of hitting and power among his prep peers. Parker sets up with an open stance and a narrow base. He rests the bat on his shoulder, then engages his load with a leg kick that feeds into an aggressive stride. Parker shows plus bat-to-ball skills and a patient approach. He can get overly passive at times, taking too many hittable pitches in the zone. He does a good job of pulling pitches located on the inner half of the plate and shows plus raw power. His swing is more geared toward hard line drives than lofted fly balls, but he should grow into above-average power at peak. Parker is an average runner who gets out of the box well, but he’s unlikely to impact the game much with his speed. Parker is a shortstop at present but is likely to move to third base. He lacks the quick-twitch mechanisms and range needed to play shortstop. He does have a strong internal clock and an above-average arm.
The Future: Parker projects as an above-average regular at third base who could one day grow into an all-star.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: King was just 17 years old on draft day when the Blue Jays selected him in the third round in 2024. A projectable 6-foot-4 lefthander from Naples, Fla., he was one of the brightest performers in Toronto’s farm system in 2025. King began in the Florida Complex League, making six appearances and striking out 41 batters to seven walks across 24 innings. He was promoted to Low-A Dunedin on June 29 and made 11 appearances and 10 starts. Over 37.2 innings with Dunedin, King struck out 64 batters to 30 walks, pitching to a 3.35 ERA.
Scouting Report: King has all the ingredients of a midrotation stalwart. His operation gets deep into his glutes, allowing him to drop and drive with a strong lead leg block. His low three-quarters arm slot creates a deceptive angle for both lefthanded and righthanded batters, though he saw more success in opposite-handed matchups in 2025. King is still learning to repeat his mechanics, something that should help him find more consistency with his release point. King mixes and matches with a four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. King’s fastball is plus and sits 93-95 mph with above-average ride and heavy armside run. King had some of the highest total movement on his fastball of any lefthander in professional baseball in 2025. His most-used secondary pitch is a two-plane curveball that sits 80-82 mph with good depth. His curveball boasted a whiff rate north of 50% in 2025. King’s changeup is a clear third pitch and was used sparingly in 2025. King shows fringe-average control and struggled with strike-throwing with Dunedin.
The Future: King is poised to build on his breakout 2025 on his way to his final destination of midrotation starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: At 17 years old, Nimmala was the youngest player selected in the 2023 draft and debuted in the Florida Complex League months before his 18th birthday. His production was heavily disjointed in his first two full seasons. A rough start in 2024 for Low-A Dunedin led to a stint on the development list after 29 games. Upon his return, Nimmala showed improved posture in his swing and hit .265/.331/.564 over the final 53 games. The 2025 season was the reverse, as Nimmala started hot with High-A Vancouver, hitting .289/.372/.538 over the first 45 games. From June 1 onward, things took a gnarly turn and he hit .184 over the final 75 games.
Scouting Report: A young shortstop with exciting skills on both sides of the ball, Nimmala still has remaining projection in his broad-shouldered frame. At the plate, he sets up slightly open, deploying a toe-tap timing mechanism. He looks to meet the ball out in front, which at times is to the detriment of his contact quality when he catches the ball off the end of the bat. Nimmala showed improvements to his contact in 2025, which resulted in a drop in strikeout rate. His bat-to-ball skills are fringe-average, which he mitigates with above-average swing decisions. Nimmala showed improved underlying power in 2025 with a jump in exit velocity data, but struggled to pull the ball in the air. Nimmala should be an above-average power hitter due to his plus bat speed, current power and remaining projection. He is an above-average runner who will show plus run times on jailbreaks to first base. He’s an above-average defender at shortstop with a plus arm who looks likely to stick at the position.
The Future: Nimmala will look to find more consistency at the plate in 2026, and if he does he’ll develop into an above-average everyday shortstop. Double-A is next.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 60/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 55
Track Record: Over three seasons at East Carolina, Yesavage went from a reliever to a key piece of the Pirates’ rotation. As a junior in 2024, he went 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA and struck out 145 in 93.1 innings. Late in that season, Yesavage suffered a partially collapsed lung due to an off-field medical procedure. He returned during regionals and outpitched Wake Forest ace Chase Burns. After Yesavage ranked as the No. 11 player in the 2024 class, questions around his medicals dropped him to the Blue Jays at pick No. 20. He signed for a little over $4.75 million and would debut the following spring with Low-A Dunedin. Toronto was deliberate with Yesavage’s workload and slowly moved him across each level of the full-season minors before he made his major league debut on Sept. 15. Not only did Yesavage make the Blue Jays’ postseason roster, he made five starts during Toronto’s run to the World Series. His biggest moment came in Game 5 of the World Series, when he threw seven innings of one-run ball, striking out 12 Dodgers batters to set a World Series rookie record.
Scouting Report: A physical 6-foot-4 righthander with a prototypical starter’s build, Yesavage employs an unusual operation with a nearly perfect overhand arm slot. Pitching exclusively from the stretch, he gets deep into his back leg as his arm plunges back before he catapults the ball over the top. His vertical arm angle and ability to hide the ball create a deceptive look that keeps opposing hitters off-balance. Yesavage employs a three-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, slider and splitter. The movement on his pitch mix is highly unusual. None of his pitches breaks to his glove side. Yesavage’s four-seam fastball is his primary pitch, thrown just under 50% of the time. Due to his over-the-top arm slot, he generates outlier ride on his fastball, averaging nearly 20 inches of induced vertical break in his brief MLB sample. His ride-cut shape and mid-90s velocity create a fearsome combination of traits that drove above-average whiff rates at every level. His slider is used nearly one-for-one to his splitter, and is the harder of his two secondaries, sitting in the upper 80s and touching the low 90s with cutter-like shape. It generates an unusual three inches of armside run. Yesavage’s slider is an above-average pitch due to its velocity and unique break, but his splitter is his signature pitch. It sits 83-84 mph with excellent velocity and vertical separation off his fastball. His splitter generates whiffs at elite rates and is a true plus-plus offering. Yesavage shows average control and relies on a heavy dose of chase swings to boost his strike rates.
The Future: Yesavage enters 2026 as an American League Rookie of the Year frontrunner and key part of the Blue Jays’ rotation. He could develop into a No. 2 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Split: 70 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Springer is a product of the prodigious Corona (Calif.) HS program that produced three first-rounders in the 2025 draft and counts big leaguers Samad Taylor and Tristan Beck among its alumni. Springer was taken in the 12th round of the 2024 draft, eschewing a commitment to Oregon in exchange for a bonus of $200,000. He split his first pro season between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A.
Scouting Report: Despite an unconventional setup and swing, Springer does a fantastic job of putting the bat on the ball and struck out just 10 times in 179 plate appearances. The next step is becoming more selective and swinging at pitches he can not only hit, but hit with authority. Doing so would surely give his exit velocity numbers a bump. He has the tools to be an average defender behind the plate and threw out 28% of attempted basestealers.
The Future: Springer will likely return to Low-A in 2026 but should reach High-A Hub City at some point during the summer. He has the look of a backup catcher who can provide solid work behind the plate and a hint of offense as well.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Pineda was on the rise when the Rangers signed him for $350,000 on Jan. 15, 2026. He is a cousin of former nine-year big leaguer Michael Pineda.
Scouting Report: Pineda is tall and projectable, with a loose, easy arm action that could lead to plenty more power in the coming years. As it is, his fastball already bumps 96 mph. He buttresses the fastball with a hard slider and a developing changeup. More than his pure stuff, Pineda has also shown solid control and command for his age.
The Future: Pineda and his three-pitch mix will begin in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Johnson was taken by Texas in the 11th round of the 2025 draft and was awarded a $300,000 bonus in lieu of transferring from Pearl River (Miss.) JC to Auburn. His 12 wins with the Wildcats led the team and tied a program record.
Scouting Report: The Rangers have scored big in the JC ranks in recent years, with successes like Kohl Drake, Josh Trentadue and Izack Tiger. Johnson might be next up. He leads his mix with a fastball that touches 96 and backs it with a low-80s slider and a changeup that is a clear third pitch. The fastball has heavy sinking life, which helped him hold the opposition to just two home runs in 71 innings.
The Future: Johnson did not pitch after signing and will likely split his pro debut between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Hickory.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: After two seasons as a catcher at North Dakota State, Danielson talked his way into a role as a pitcher. Four seasons later, the Rangers were intrigued enough to call Danielson’s name in the 17th round in 2024. He got his feet wet later that summer at Low-A, then zoomed to Double-A in his first full season as a pro. He got a little more work under his belt in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: Most pitchers deploy their arsenal differently against righties and lefties, but Danielson takes it to another level. Facing righties, he works with a sinker, sweeper and cutter and delivers from a low three-quarters slot. Against lefties, he works from a much higher slot and utilizes his four-seamer, curveball, splitter and cutter. After annihilating the competition in High-A, the 24-year-old Danielson ran into resistance at Double-A Frisco. He struggled to throw strikes and was crushed by righthanders, who hit .375/.500/.563 against him. Lefties managed an OPS of just .440 against Danielson at Double-A, though he struggled to throw strikes in general. Danielson’s fastball is the only plus pitch in his mix. Among his offspeeds, only his curveball grades as average.
The Future: To land a spot in the big leagues, Danielson will have to drastically improve his control and bring one of his offspeed pitches forward a few clicks. If he can, he could settle in as a low-leverage arm.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 40 | Cutter: 45 | Split: 40 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Cauley signed for $1 million with Texas after being drafted in the third round in 2021. Injuries stunted his progress in the following seasons, but in 2025 he reached Double-A for the first time and posted a season with middling stats but hints of upside.
Scouting Report: Cauley is still twitchy and athletic and can put a decent charge into a ball, but he needs plenty of refinement to get the most out of his offensive potential. He handles spin fine, but he was vexed by premium fastballs and changeups. Even so, he got enough out of his contact and plus speed to become one of just nine minor leaguers 22 or younger who finished the year hitting .250 or better with at least 15 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He’d moved back and forth between shortstop and second base, but in 2025 he added center field to his bag of tricks. The results were outstanding. Cauley’s quickness and range allowed him to make scads of highlight reel plays, including diving grabs back, forth and side to side while chewing up turf with efficient routes. If that’s his future home, he’ll provide plenty of value with his glove.
The Future: Cauley’s defensive prowess and versatility gives him a variety of avenues to reach the big leagues. If he can become a more well-rounded hitter, he might tap into the upside the Rangers saw in him five summers ago.
Scouting Grades Hit: 30 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: After two seasons at Weatherford (TX) JC, Bonzagni transferred to Southern Illinois for the second part of his college career. In between, he was part of a talented Cape Cod League team that was loaded with future first-rounders, including 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana. Bonzagni raised his stock with the Salukis, and the Rangers pounced on the chance to draft him in the 12th round. He signed for $150,000 and split his first full pro season between the Class A levels. He pitched just 9.1 innings in 2025 before a torn ulnar collateral ligament required Tommy John surgery.
Scouting Report: When healthy, Bonzagni is one of the best groundball-drivers in the Rangers’ system. That was the case in 2025, when he coaxed grounders at a 66.7% rate before his elbow flared up. At his best, he works with a fastball and slider that each grade as potentially plus offerings, as well as a changeup that was in line for a season of development before the injury. Historically, he’s shown a willingness to attack the strike zone with his entire mix and should have at least above-average control.
The Future: Bonzagni’s surgery will likely cost him all of 2026. If his stuff returns in full, he could be a late-game reliever whose pitch mix keeps hitters and infielders on their toes. Starting isn’t out of the question, however, and the next step toward that goal will come in 2027.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Abeldt spent his first two seasons at TCU working almost exclusively out of the bullpen. Abeldt also spent two summers pitching with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He was in line for a spot in the rotation before he tore his ulnar collateral ligament in February and had Tommy John surgery. Instead, he spent the season as the Horned Frogs’ informal bullpen coach. The Rangers bet on his upside and drafted him in the fifth round.
Scouting Report: At his best, Abeldt gets his outs on the strength of three pitches and a funky delivery that features a low slot and a crossfire action. His fastball sits in the low 90s and peaks at 96 with the kind of heavy sink that keeps infielders on their toes. He backs it with a sweepy slider in the 78-82 mph range that drives swings and misses and has above-average potential. He has a low-80s changeup in his back pocket as well, but he threw it just 7.7% of the time in 2024. Despite the high-maintenance delivery, Abeldt did an excellent job in college of pounding the strike zone and should have at least average control in the big leagues.
The Future: Abeldt should be ready for spring training and could move quickly as a reliever. He profiles as someone who can neutralize lefties, and his stock could tick up if he improves his changeup.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: After teasing his tremendous upside in his first pro season, when he was promoted stateside before the close of the Dominican Summer League season, Gutierrez has faced a series of injuries. Those include a fractured finger in 2023, shoulder surgery in 2024 and a hybrid Tommy John surgery in 2025. All told, he hasn’t reached the 90-game mark in either of his last two seasons.
Scouting Report: When healthy, Gutierrez has an ideal body that should produce power and athleticism in equal measure. All the time on the injured list has stunted his development and delayed his path to the big leagues. He’s an aggressive swinger who does a good job making contact on pitches in the strike zone but needs to chase at a far lower clip. He hits the ball fairly hard, with max exit velocities up to 109 mph, but needs to improve his barrel accuracy to get the most out of his strength. The 21-year-old Gutierrez still ranks among the best defensive outfielders in the system, and his arm strength—when healthy—is the best in the organization. He is an above-average runner who has been successful on more than 80% of his stolen base attempts in his career.
The Future: Gutierrez should be ready in time for spring training and should get to Double-A in 2026. When he does, he’ll need to become far more selective at the plate to get the most out of his offensive upside. A fully healthy season would go a long way, too.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Santana was the gem of the Rangers’ 2024 signing class and opened his career on a strong note in the Dominican Summer League. There, he posted an .829 OPS, finished with more walks (52) than strikeouts (38) and was named the MVP of the league’s annual all-star game. The sailing wasn’t as smooth stateside, but he made it to Low-A Hickory by season’s end.
Scouting Report: Santana moved to the Arizona Complex League to begin 2025 and produced a middling year. His speed, defense and arm all settled in around average or slightly better, giving him a fair chance to stick in center field. Doing so would be a boon for his future, since his offense is unlikely to profile in a corner. Santana’s EV numbers were strong—including 90th percentile and max marks of 103.7 mph and 112.6 mph—but his miss rates were fringy or below-average across the board, and he finished the year with a 30.7% strikeout rate. Scouts chalked up the whiffs to poor swing decisions and general over-aggressiveness against soft stuff. Still, Santana’s compact swing and strong body provide hope that he can reach his potential with more refinement.
The Future: Santana will return to Hickory in 2026. He has the ceiling of a center fielder who hits toward the bottom of a lineup but will take plenty of patience if he is to reach those heights.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Martin was a two-sport standout in high school in Kennewick, Wash., and was committed to Oregon before the Rangers drafted him in the 11th round in 2023. The younger brother of former Pirates prospect Mason Martin, Maxton spent his first full pro season in the Arizona Complex League. He played most of 2025 at Low-A Hickory before making a season-ending run with High-A Hub City.
Scouting Report: Martin’s calling card is his power, which helped him swat 14 home runs in 2025. His 90th percentile exit velocity was 102 mph, and he maxed out at 111 mph. His raw juice is among the best in the system, but he’ll need to make more contact to use it to its full potential. His miss and chase rates were both worse than 30%, and his in-zone miss rate finished at 21.8%. Most of Martin’s defensive reps came in left field, with a few starts in right field and at first base mixed in as well. His arm strength and defense each project to be below-average, which puts plenty of pressure on him to make the offensive adjustments required to squeeze every drop out of his power. Martin is a below-average runner as well, but he showed enough to become one of just two minor leaguers with double-digit home runs and 15 or more stolen bases without getting caught.
The Future: Martin has a ceiling as a second-division regular who can provide a bit of thump.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: After losing out to the Dodgers in the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes, the Rangers had plenty of international pool money to spend. A total of $1.2 million of it went to Kim, an 18-year-old in South Korea with talent on both sides of the ball. He joined the Rangers after graduating from Gwangju Jeil High and spent a few games in the Dominican Summer League. He got 13 plate appearances as a hitter and one inning on the mound. He played both ways as an amateur and had a chance to be picked early in the Korean Baseball Organization draft.
Scouting Report: The Rangers are planning to let Kim play both ways at the outset of his career, though evaluators believe his stronger path to the big leagues is on the mound. He works with a four-seamer that’s peaked at 95 mph as well as a slider and splitter. He’s a lithe athlete in the field with the chops to stick at shortstop and the kind of strong arm that’s typical of someone who can also get on the mound. He produced limited exit velocity numbers in a small sample in the D.R. before the season ended and he transitioned into instructional league.
The Future: Kim will get a chance to hit and pitch in his first full season as a professional. The next step will likely be in the Arizona Complex League.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60 | Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 50 | Sweeper: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Rosario earned the highest bonus of any member of the Rangers’ 2026 international class. His outlay was the ninth-highest of any player in the period as well.
Scouting Report: Rosario is a big man with corresponding strength and power, and he has a chance to get even more physical as he ages. He’ll need to work making contact as he moves up the ladder, though he has shown a decent eye as well and could rack up walks as a pro. Rosario is a former infielder who has moved to the outfield and should profile in a corner. His speed and arm strength each grade as above-average.
The Future: Rosario will get his first pro action in 2026 in the Dominican Summer League.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Rodriguez’s $1.1 million bonus was the highest awarded to any of Texas’ 2025 international class. He earned that figure based on a well-rounded tool set, and he opened his career in the Dominican Summer League and finished with a .979 OPS and six home runs over 46 games. His year included a berth in the DSL all-star game.
Scouting Report: On the surface, Rodriguez’s professional debut was a success. Under the hood, there’s plenty of areas to polish. He took professional at-bats and made sound swing decisions, but his exit velocities were a bit underwhelming. He finished the year with a 90th percentile mark of just 99.5 mph and a max figure of 104.5 mph. Considering his frame lacks much room for projection, there’s reason to believe his power numbers might jump much as he gets older. Rodriguez’s defense is also a bit of an issue. He split his reps between second base and center field, but scouts are skeptical he has the chops to be more than fringy at either spot. That’s especially true if his lower half gets any thicker than its current state.
The Future: Rodriguez will likely spend most of 2026 in the Arizona Complex League. There, he’ll work to up his exit velocities and improve his defense in an effort to stay up the middle.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 40 | Arm: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Wheeler was a two-way player at Illinois’ Morris High, where he also played basketball and football. He played with the varsity squad all four years in high school and was drafted by the Rangers in the sixth round in 2025. He signed for an above-slot bonus of $525,000 to keep him from landing on campus at Illinois. He did not play an official game after signing.
Scouting Report: Despite his potential on the mound, Wheeler’s path as a pro will come as a position player only. He’s big and physical and moves well for his size. His natural strength and loose swing help him generate premier raw power that should be more than enough to profile at his position. His midwestern roots mean he’s a little more raw than prep talents from amateur hotbeds in other parts of the country, and his reaction to spin during instructional league affirmed the idea that patience will be required as Wheeler climbs the ladder. Though he’s lithe enough now to handle third base, there’s a chance his body might push him to right field as he matures. If that’s the case, his above-average arm strength should be more than enough for the position.
The Future: Wheeler’s first official pro reps will come in the Arizona Complex League. If he passes those tests, he has a chance to be a prototype hitter who can profile either at third base or in right field.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Kling was a highly regarded prospect out of high school but decided to pull his name from draft consideration and instead enroll at LSU. His time in Baton Rouge did not go according to plan, and he transferred to Penn State after his sophomore season. Things started to click in State College, and Kling finished his lone season with the Nittany Lions with a sparkly 1.102 OPS and 13 home runs. The Rangers selected him in the seventh round in 2025, and he made it to High-A in his pro debut before a collision with Dylan Dreiling closed the curtains on his season.
Scouting Report: Kling is big and athletic and handles center field well, with mobility to all sectors. His above-average arm strength gives him a weapon that would help him profile in right field if he has to move there at some point. Kling’s raw power is evident in his frame, and he did a solid job finding the barrel in his pro debut. His max exit velocities didn’t jump off the page, but his 90th percentile mark of 104.2 mph points to consistent flush contact. There were some issues with spin as an amateur, and his miss rates were a little high in a smaller pro sample, so his pure hit tool might not be better than below-average.
The Future: Kling’s pedigrees in the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences should allow him to move quickly through the system. His ceiling is as a masher who can handle center field and make noise on the bases.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Pence redshirted during his first season at North Carolina, then spent the next two seasons pitching mostly out of the bullpen for the Tar Heels. He was used exclusively as a reliever in his draft year, when the Rangers took him in the 11th round and signed him for $350,000. He was shut down after signing, then spent his debut season as a rotation piece at the Class A levels.
Scouting Report: The Rangers believe Pence has the chops to start. To do so, he’ll need a fuller arsenal. Currently, he works with a four-pitch mix led by a low-90s fastball and backed by a slider, splitter and sparsely used curveball. Despite pedestrian velocity, Pence’s heater could get to plus thanks to more than 20 inches of induced vertical break and an ability to land it in the zone frequently. His slider—which can look like a cutter—is his most effective offspeed pitch and grades as a potential 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale. The splitter trails as a possible average pitch, and his curveball is a clear fourth option. In 2026, curveball growth will be a point of emphasis in order to give him a wider-breaking pitch as a way to introduce a different look into his mix. Pence had no trouble carving against Class A hitters and could get to above-average control.
The Future: Pence should reach Double-A in 2026. There, the savvier hitters in the Texas League will let him know just how much more diversity he’ll need in his pitch mix to be a starter at the highest level.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 40 | Slider: 55 | Split: 50 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The seventh inning of the 2019 Perfect Game All-American Classic featured a pair of potential future Rangers pitchers. One was Alejandro Rosario. The other was Baumler, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Orioles the next year. The Iowa-bred righthander reached Double-A for the first time in 2025 and then was taken by the Pirates in the Rule 5 draft before being quickly traded to the Rangers.
Scouting Report: Injuries have taken their toll on Baumler, who has thrown just 88.2 innings since signing. The list includes a Tommy John surgery in 2020 that cost him all of the 2021 season. The 39.2 innings he threw in 2025 were a career high. The gem of Baumler’s mix is his fastball, which sits in the mid 90s and plays up because of the combination of its life through the zone and the way his delivery works. The righthander backs it up with a mid-80s, two-plane curveball and a slider that averages 89 mph and is rarely thrown. He has a chance to have average control in the big leagues, and he found the zone with both his fastball and curveball at rates of better than 66%. All three of his offerings garnered miss rates of better than 30%.
The Future: Baumler is a pure relief prospect who will get a chance in spring training to win a shot in Texas’ bullpen.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 40 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: After a decorated career at Stanford and with USA Baseball that helped him land a spot on BA’s Freshman All-America team, Moore cemented a place among the best catchers in the 2024 draft class. The Rangers selected him with the 30th pick and signed him for $3 million. He got his feet wet at High-A that summer, then returned to the level in 2025. His season was interrupted by a broken finger, and he made up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: While the disjointed nature of his season didn’t help, even when healthy Moore had the look of a player who needed more polish than would be expected of a player with his pedigree. The lefthanded hitter was fairly aggressive and could put a charge into a ball every now and again, but there was much to be desired in terms of barrel accuracy. His season was unsuccessful in general, but he was particularly ineffective against lefthanders, against whom he produced an OPS of just .472 with one extra-base hit in 50 plate appearances. He also needs to find a quicker trigger to help him against premium velocity. Defensively, there’s plenty of work to be done as well. He’s a slow-twitch athlete and only a fringy receiver with a fringe-average arm. He caught 17.6% of attempted basestealers and had 70 bases stolen on him in just 47 games.
The Future: Moore’s first full pro season was a letdown, but there’s at least a partial mulligan required. He has plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball, and will likely head back to High-A to begin 2026. He now looks more like a backup than a starter.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 30 | Field: 40 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Tiger spent his entire college career in Kansas at Butler JC. He struck out 121 hitters in his final season before the draft, and the Rangers called his name in the seventh round in 2023. He signed for $180,000. He got his first pro experience during Low-A Down East’s playoff run. In 2024, Tiger earned a spot in one of Texas’ Spring Breakout games, then pitched at three levels in the regular season, peaking at High-A. He pitched 46 innings before a torn ulnar collateral ligament required Tommy John surgery and cost him all of 2025.
Scouting Report: When healthy, Tiger has one of the most overwhelming pitch mixes in the Rangers’ system. His four-seam fastball reached into the upper 90s with plenty of life through the zone. He backed it with a slider in the mid 80s and a split-changeup in the low 90s. The combination allows him to work the strike zone from the top down while drawing plenty of empty swings. At their peak, Tiger’s fastball and slider are potential plus pitches. His changeup could get to above-average. He repeats his delivery well and should have fringe-average control once he reaches the big leagues.
The Future: After a year to recover, Tiger should be ready for spring training. If his stuff returns intact, he has a chance to be a back-end starter or a live-armed force in the back of a bullpen.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Split: 55 | Control: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: After earning Most Outstanding Player during Tennessee’s run to the 2024 College World Series championship, Dreiling had boosted his stock high enough to earn the Rangers’ second-round pick and a bonus of $1,287,600. He debuted later that year at High-A Hickory and returned to the level—albeit at Texas’ new affiliate in Spartanburg, S.C.—and posted a middling campaign.
Scouting Report: Dreiling does a strong job controlling the strike zone, but he needs to become more aggressive. His swing rate in 2025 was just 38.7%, among the lowest in the sport among players with 400 or more plate appearances. The Rangers also worked with Dreiling to tweak the mechanics in his lower half, and the results were promising. His August was the best month of the season, and he showed well during the Arizona Fall League. All of Dreiling’s exit velocity numbers were promising, including best bolts of better than 111 mph. Despite those numbers, he has a hole on the outer half of the plate that led to a lot of weak contact in 2025. He’ll need those positive signs to carry through into 2026 because of a defensive profile that lends itself more toward left field. Even in the corner, Dreiling is unlikely to be more than a fringy defender with similar arm strength.
The Future: After turning in a strong last few months in regular season and AFL, Dreiling’s prospect stock has steadied. He’ll begin 2026 at the upper levels and has a future as a second-division left fielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Field: 45 | Arm: 45 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Teodo signed with the Rangers in 2020 but was forced by the pandemic to wait until the following year to make his pro debut. When he finally got on the mound, he showcased one of the system’s liveliest arms. After a standout turn in the 2024 Futures Game, it seemed he was on the precipice of the big leagues. A back injury and scattered command scuttled those plans, however, and instead he made his second Arizona Fall League appearance in three seasons.
Scouting Report: For the first few years of his career, Teodo got by on the sheer velocity of a fastball that routinely touched 100 mph or more. In 2023, while he was in High-A, hitters taught him that the pitch lacked the movement to be effective. He switched to a two-seamer at midseason and saw standout results. Now, he can bully hitters with his fastball, slider and rare changeup. His primary two offerings have a chance to be plus or better, and his changeup could get to fringe-average. Teodo’s injury meant he was out of sync all year, and it showed in his inability to throw strikes. He’ll need to get back on track in that department to reach the big leagues. The Rangers would also like to see him work back-to-back days, which he did not do in 2025.
The Future: If he can throw more strikes, Teodo has a chance to be an overwhelming force in the late innings. If not, he might be closer to a low-leverage arm, or someone who rides the shuttle back and forth from Triple-A.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Castillo signed with Texas in 2024 out of Venezuela and quickly showed exemplary bat-to-ball skills. He lasted just 20 games in the Dominican Summer League—where he hit .414/.552/.471—before the Rangers bumped him to the Arizona Complex League. Although the venue changed, Castillo continued producing at a stellar level. He split his 2025 season between the ACL and Low-A Hickory, where he continued to make plenty of contact but little impact.
Scouting Report: In 2024, Castillo’s body was long and lanky with plenty of room for more strength. Scouts who saw him a year later said he had made some progress in that area, but a large chunk of his future depends on whether he can get even stronger and turn more of his singles into extra-base hits. Castillo’s swing is a bit choppy, and he tends to make his contact deeper in the strike zone. Those traits, plus below-average exit velocities, have led to limited offensive success outside of contact abilities. He has just 21 extra-base hits—and only one home run—in 421 career plate appearances. That likely limits his upside to a bottom-of-the-order hitter. Scouts are sold on Castillo sticking at shortstop, and he ranks as the best defensive infielder in the system. He’s a smooth fielder with strong instincts, soft hands, plus range and an excellent internal clock. His arm strength is plus, too, and he got 10 games of experience at third base as well. Castillo is an average runner who has stolen 28 bases in 34 career attempts.
The Future: The next few years will be telling for Castillo. If he can revamp his bat path and add strength, he might be able to hack it as a shortstop who hits toward the bottom of the order. If not, it will be tough to find a path to the big leagues.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: When he signed in 2021, Lopez was immediately tabbed as someone to keep an eye on in the coming years. He made the leap in his second stint in the Dominican Summer League, when he punched out 63 and walked just 18 over 34.1 innings. He flashed potential over the next two seasons, but really broke through in 2025, when he fanned 116 and walked 41 over 101.1 innings in a year when he reached Double-A for the first time. After the season, Lopez was added to the 40-man roster.
Scouting Report: Lopez has a case as the biggest breakthrough in Texas’ system in 2025. He shed fat, added strength and began repeating his delivery much more frequently. Now, his diverse pitch mix is more effective. He works with four- and two-seam fastballs, and backs them with a slider, curveball and changeup. The slider, a new addition to his mix, looks like a cutter but Lopez’s high release point makes the pitch appear more slider-ish. The pitch was more effective because of how often he was able to land it for strikes. Having two pitches he could throw in-zone helped the rest of his mix play up. Lopez’s split-grip changeup projects as a below-average pitch. Lopez’s control gains were more important than anything that happened with one of his pitches, and the improvement stuck after he moved from High-A to Double-A.
The Future: Now part of the 40-man roster, Lopez has a chance to make his MLB debut in 2026. Despite all but one of his appearances coming in the rotation in 2025, his likely role in the big leagues is as a reliever.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Davalillo comes from a family bursting with baseball. His brother Gabriel is a catcher who is a top prospect for the Angels. His father David was a longtime coach in the Mets’ system. The younger David initially signed with the Mets as well but was released after the 2021 season and signed with Texas. His 1.88 ERA was the lowest in the minor leagues in 2024, and he followed it up with a 2.44 mark in a year split between High-A and the hitter-friendly Texas League.
Scouting Report: Others in the system have better stuff, but Davalillo is truly the best pitcher in the organization. He doesn’t have a plus pitch, but an improved body thanks to a better diet and work in the weight room has helped his stuff tick up. He works with four- and two-seam fastballs, as well as a split-changeup, a curveball, a gyro slider and a newly added sweeper and cutter. The former was added to help him put away righties, while the latter is a bridge between his other fastballs and his offspeeds. Davalillo’s splitter is the best pitch in his mix, and in 2025 it drew misses at a rate of better than 50%. Scouts praise his ability to move all his pitches around the zone and execute attack plans against righties and lefties alike. He threw strikes at a clip of 64% in 2025, and his control grades as the best in the system. Davalillo succeeds thanks to an innate ability to repeat his delivery, hand speed that allows him to throw a variety of pitch types and the gumption to pound the strike zone. He fields his position well.
The Future: Davalillo’s lack of a plus pitch limits his ceiling, but he’s proved himself throughout the minor leagues and was wily enough in the second half to tame upper-level hitters. He has a chance to make his MLB debut toward the end of the 2026 season, especially after being added to the 40-man roster in November.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Split: 55 | Sweeper: 55 | Control: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Rangers signed Santos in 2019 out of the Dominican Republic, but they had to wait until the sport returned from the pandemic shutdown to get their eyes on him in an official game. Once things resumed, the righthander showed one of the system’s more interesting pitch mixes. He broke out during an outstanding 2024 season that included a berth in the Futures Game—played at the Rangers’ home ballpark—but was limited by a lingering back injury to just 35.2 frames in 2025 between the regular season and Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: As ever, Santos’ profile is driven by his magnificent fastball/changeup combo. The former pitch reached 97 mph during the regular season and touched a couple of ticks hotter in shorter bursts in the AFL. It also showed an average of nearly 18 inches of induced vertical break during the regular season. The righthander’s changeup flashes plus in the mid-to-upper 80s and shows fade and bottom at its best. Those two pitches would give him a chance to be a multi-inning reliever. If he can figure out a consistent breaking ball, he could find a way into a rotation. He’s working with a fringy, short-breaking version of a slider thrown around 84 mph. At its very best, the pitch has sharp gyro break down and in toward the feet of lefthanders. More often than not, it backs up on him and hangs in the middle of the zone. Santos has the potential for above-average control with perhaps average command. He’s done a good job filling up the zone at each of his stops.
The Future: If Santos can find a breaking ball that plays at least average, he’ll have a chance to be a back-end starter. If not, he could use his fastball and changeup to overwhelm hitters for multiple innings out of the bullpen. With a full offseason of rest, he could reach the big leagues in 2026.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: After a stellar season in relief at Tennessee in 2023, Russell’s sophomore year was stymied by an elbow injury that eventually required surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament. He returned in February 2025 for one outing, then came back on a regular basis starting on April 1. In all, he threw 70 innings and made 11 starts during his three seasons in Knoxville. The Rangers drafted Russell with their second-round pick and signed him for $2.6 million. He pitched during instructional league. His selection was the first of back-to-back picks—the second being two-way talent Josh Owens—from the Volunteer State.
Scouting Report: Russell works with a three-pitch mix led by a potentially double-plus fastball that sits between 92-94 mph and has reached up to 98 with plenty of carry and life through the zone. The pitch showed hard, boring action in on righthanded hitters and got plenty of misses as well. He backs his fastball with a slider that sometimes loses its shape and looks a little bit like a slurve. The Rangers are confident their pitching department can help Russell get to the best version of his breaking ball more often. The physical righthander rounds out his mix with a potentially above-average changeup in the mid 80s that he was confident throwing against both righties and lefties. Russell did a good job filling the zone during his college career and has a chance to have average control.
The Future: Both in college and as a pro, Russell has shown the type of stuff to be dominant. He’ll get plenty of chances to start, but his limited track record and injury might lead him to a future as a reliever who can blow hitters away for an inning or two. His college pedigree might lead to his pro career officially beginning at High-A Hub City.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Mild
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: Corniell signed with the Mariners in 2019 but was traded to Texas in 2020 for reliever Rafael Montero. Three seasons later, Corniell’s performance at two Class A stops earned him the system’s minor league pitcher of the year award. His momentum was stopped halfway through 2024 by an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Once healed, he quickly showed enough at Double-A to warrant a one-game cameo in the big leagues. He made up for some of his lost innings with a turn in the Arizona Fall League.
Scouting Report: Corniell gets his outs thanks to stellar command of a deep, varied pitch mix led by a full complement of four-seam, sinking and cut fastballs that allows him to attack righties and lefties with velocity and movement. Scouts grade the sinker—which was added during the AFL—as the best of the trio, but the other two variants aren’t far behind. The four-seamer would get a bit of a boost if Corniell could command it better toward the top of the zone. Corniell’s slider has a sweepier shape than in years past, and it shows above-average potential at its best. Scouts outside the organization believe Corniell’s changeup has the same kind of ceiling, but he needs to throw the pitch more often to get it sharp enough to reach that value. The righthander pounds the zone with all his pitches, though the sweeper is designed more for chase swings than to be landed for early-count strikes.
The Future: After making his MLB debut, Corniell has a chance to reach Arlington again in 2026. If he doesn’t land in the Opening Day rotation, he could get back there after a bit more seasoning in Triple-A Round Rock. He has the ceiling of a back-end starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Average
Adjusted Grade: 45
Track Record: Scarborough’s size and athleticism helped him star in both baseball and basketball at Harmony High in Florida. He was skilled enough to earn area player of the year honors in both sports. The Rangers drafted Scarborough in the sixth round in 2023 and used a $515,000 bonus to buy him out of his commitment to Dallas Baptist. He pitched just 10.1 innings in 2024 but was the organization’s best pitcher in 2025. Between two Class A stops, the righthander struck out 114 and walked just 21 over 88 innings.
Scouting Report: Scarborough’s game is based around outliers. His fastball, which sits around 94 mph and touched 97, has excellent life through the zone from a low release height. Those traits, plus the fact that he threw the pitch for a strike more than 68% of the time, make it an easy plus offering and the best of its kind in the system. That title was reinforced during the season as he learned to land it in the zone more often. Scarborough complements his fastball with a sweeper that he was able to land in the zone or use to induce empty swings. The pitch got a 44% miss rate, and its strike distribution was nearly 50/50 between called and swinging. Its sharp break makes it a weapon down and away from righties and at the feet of lefties. He completes his mix with a split-changeup that he tinkered with throughout the 2025 season and will be a continuing point of emphasis. Scarborough has added plenty of strength since he’s turned pro, which has helped him make his funky delivery more repeatable.
The Future: Scarborough has a high ceiling thanks to his physical abilities and unique pitch package. If it all comes together, he could pitch in the middle of a rotation. The next steps will include adding more pitches to his mix. He should return to High-A in 2026 and could reach Double-A by midseason.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Split: 45 | Sweeper: 60 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/High
Adjusted Grade: 40
Track Record: The Rangers looked to the Tennessee high school ranks in 2020 when they drafted Elizabethton’s Evan Carter in the second round. Texas again favored the Volunteer State when it chose Owens from neighboring Johnson City in the third round in 2025. A multi-sport athlete who also played football, Owens had legitimate draft stock as both a shortstop and pitcher. The Rangers used $1.1 million to buy him out of his commitment to Georgia Southern.
Scouting Report: Entering the draft, Owens’ future seemed to be veering toward a future as a position player with the potential for average or better tools across the board. After his first taste of pro ball, that’s no longer the case. Scouts who saw Owens pitch came away impressed with his blend of athleticism and potentially overwhelming stuff. In instructional league, he showed a 93-96 mph fastball with nasty two-seam life and a well-commanded slider that rode the line between plus and double-plus and was an effective weapon to backfoot against lefthanders. His changeup was an intriguing offering as an amateur but was seldom-used as a pro. Owens’ deceptive lower slot and repertoire could help him vault quickly into the top tier of the system’s pitchers. Owens has raw power that helped him produce exit velocities of up to 108 mph as an amateur, but scouts believe his swing would need a major overhaul. In eight games for Low-A Hickory he went 2-for-24 with no walks and 11 strikeouts. In the field, his athleticism and above-average speed and arm would help him fit either at shortstop or in center field.
The Future: Owens is the best athlete in the system and has a variety of ways to produce value in the big leagues one day. After Owens’ short stint in pro ball, tapping into his immense upside on the mound might be his best course of action and could one day lead to a spot in the middle of a rotation.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 | Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: Hernandez was intriguing when he was an upper-80s righthander with plenty of savvy and pitchability. Now he’s added 5-7 mph of velocity and has turned himself into one of the best pitching prospects in the 2026 international class. A $400,000 signing out of Colombia, Hernandez could end up as one of the steals of the class.
Scouting Report: Hernandez now sits in the mid-90s and touches 97. He doesn’t have to work excessively hard to get to that velocity. He has a starter’s frame and delivery and he’s shown an ability to manipulate the baseball. His changeup is advanced for his age and could be an above-average pitch, while he spins a solid slider as well.
The Future: There’s still plenty of development and projection needed, but Hernandez has the stuff to be a solid starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 65/Average
Adjusted Grade: 55
Track Record: Walcott signed with the Rangers out of the Bahamas for $3.2 million in 2023 and quickly asserted himself as one of the best prospects not only in Texas’ system but in the entire sport. He hit his way from the Dominican Summer League to High-A in his debut season, then reached Double-A at the end of his second year. In 2025, Walcott returned to the Texas League, where he opened the season as the circuit’s second-youngest player. He and the Pirates’ Konnor Griffin were the only teenagers to finish the year with 15 or more doubles, 10 or more home runs and 30 or more stolen bases and spend any time at Double-A. After 124 games at Frisco, Walcott was assigned to the Arizona Fall League. He played one game before being shut down with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Walcott landed spots in the 2024 and 2025 Futures Games, with the former being played at Texas’ home of Globe Life Field.
Scouting Report: Quietly, Walcott put forth one of the best seasons in the Texas League thanks to a skill set oozing with upside and improved plate discipline and swing decisions. Scouts with history watching Walcott noted that he did a better job laying off the kinds of pitches that would result in weak contact, while more frequently unleashing his best swings on offerings in his happy zone. All of his 13 home runs were hit against pitches located inside or near the middle of the strike zone, and all of them were pulled. Walcott still has improvements to make, and he occasionally will stride in the bucket in an attempt to lift and pull. When his swing is in sync, he creates the kind of contact rarely found in players his age. Among teenagers with 300 or more plate appearances in 2025, Walcott’s 90th percentile exit velocity of 106.8 mph ranked fifth. Now, he needs to get to that kind of contact more often. His 46% groundball rate was 11th highest in the Texas League among qualified hitters. Walcott is big, lithe and physical, and may one day grow out of shortstop. He got 17 games of experience at third base in 2025. Walcott committed 24 errors at shortstop, most on wayward throws and misjudged short hops. Some scouts have suggested his double-plus arm might play better in right field, though evaluators aren’t convinced he’s a sure bet to move off the dirt. Whether the injury that cut short his AFL campaign has any lingering effects will be worth monitoring.
The Future: Walcott will likely spend the bulk of his 2026 season at Triple-A and has a chance to make his big league debut toward the end of the year. There’s no doubt that his tools are star quality, and he’s made strides toward turning them into skills. If he can take another couple of steps forward, he has a chance to be the centerpiece of the Rangers’ roster.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 70 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The 63rd pick in the 2023 draft, Baumeister was the Orioles’ highest drafted pitcher under Mike Elias until 2025. If he makes the majors, it will be for another team. The O’s sent him to Tampa Bay in the 2024 Zach Eflin trade and he is now the Rays’ best hope for a useful return on the deal. Mac Horvath has settled into more of an org player while Etzel was traded for Nick Fortes.
Scouting Report: Baumeister had an eventful 2025 season, with parts he would rather forget. He was shelled to the tune of a 9.95 ERA in April, and after a much better May, he missed two months with a shoulder injury. Returning to action in August, he looked much more like the pitcher the Rays traded for with a sub-1.00 ERA over five starts. His Arizona Fall League stint came to a premature end because he was hit in the head by a 110 mph line drive. Thankfully, he was not seriously injured. Baumeister’s lively 93-95 mph fastball gets swings and misses at the top of the zone. He has transformed his slider into a harder 87-89 mph cutter that he can locate in the zone and is average. He now relies much less on his slower curve and the feel for it has backed up. His below-average changeup remains a developing pitch.
The Future: Baumeister needs more consistency, but at his best, he can carve through a lineup multiple times. He will go to spring training competing for a spot in Triple-A Durham. He projects as a No. 4 starter.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Guerrero’s $3.7 million bonus was one of the biggest in the 2023 international class, but he has struggled to stay healthy. He played just seven games in 2023 because of a shoulder injury, then played 28 games in 2024 before re-injuring the shoulder. In 2025, he played just 51 games because of an early hamstring injury and subsequent knee injury. The bill for that lost development time came due in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .077 and was clearly overmatched by more experienced pitchers.
Scouting Report: Guerrero continues to hit the ball as hard as anyone in the Rays’ farm system and generates exceptional exit velocities for a teenager. The lefthanded hitter explodes from a coiled batting stance, and when he connects, he can drive balls far beyond the right field wall. But the rest of his offensive approach needs to catch up to that power. Despite an average batting eye for his age, Guerrero struck out 29.9% of the time because he swings through too many changeups and sliders. Much of this can be attributed to collecting less than 400 plate appearances in three seasons. Guerrero is a well-built right fielder with an above-average arm. He’s an above-average runner although his frame suggests he may slow down as he matures.
The Future: Guerrero needs a full healthy season of at-bats to help him catch up on lost developmental time. His lefthanded power could make him a middle-of-the-lineup cornerstone if he makes more consistent contact. High-A Bowling Green should be a big test in 2026.
Scouting Grades Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: An under-the-radar pitching prospect until his senior year of high school, Gill Hill was an astute sixth-round above-slot find for the Rays in 2022. After struggling in 2023, Gill Hill raised his arm slot and found more velocity in a breakout 2024 season. His 2025 season was a bit rockier, especially early. But his ERA in the second half of the season was two full runs lower than it was in the first half, and he slashed 100 points off his OPS allowed as well. He’s quite durable, throwing 245 innings over the past two seasons.
Scouting Report: After some adjustments, Gill Hill has settled in as a durable, strike-throwing sinkerballer. He fills the zone with a 68% strike rate, but he doesn’t miss a lot of bats (18.8% strikeout rate). His 92-94 mph sinker and his hard 85-88 mph cutter are both best at avoiding barrels and getting early-count grounders. Gill Hill will touch 96-97, but struggles to maintain that sort of velocity. He has some ability to manipulate the shape of his bigger average slider. It will flash depth and bite, and he can add sweep to run away from righthanded hitters. His below-average changeup has backed up, which helps explain why lefties proved a problem in 2025.
The Future: Gill Hill shows flashes of velocity that would make him a midrotation starter, and the 21-year-old is still young enough to add more strength and stuff. His current arsenal doesn’t miss many bats, but his plus control and durability make him a useful back-of-the-rotation arm.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 60 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Moss has competed against top talent for years. He was named to the 2018 Pan Am Game 12U all-star team at first base, and he played four years at IMG Academy, establishing himself as an above-average hitter in big events. The Rays paid him $2.097 million to forgo his commitment to LSU in 2025.
Scouting Report: Moss’ hitting ability is impressive, as he shows the skills to work counts, draw walks and spray the ball to all fields. He could be an above-average hitter with excellent hand-eye coordination. But he also has to prove that he won’t end up as a tweener. His modest below-average power is a tough fit in a corner outfield spot, while his average speed means he’s stretched in center. Scouts were mixed in their opinions as to whether Moss can stay in center field long-term in pro ball. The Rays like to have a plus-plus defender in center, but they also are comfortable trading some offensive impact for defense in the corner outfield spots, which makes Moss a potentially useful above-average defender in a corner, even if he’s only average in center field.
The Future: Moss has plenty of experience and polish, but his ability to develop in center field and as a slugger will likely determine his path to the majors. He should be part of a Low-A Charleston team that should have a number of Rays’ 2025 draftees.
Scouting Grades Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 50 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: In 1953, Frederick Flemming played 23 games in the Durham Bulls outfield as part of a four-season minor league career that topped out in Triple-A. Now, more than 70 years later, his grandson Cooper could also play in Durham. The Rays made that possible by drafting the Vanderbilt signee in the second round in 2025 and signing him for $2.297 million. Flemming was a showcase standout who raised his draft stock with an MVP performance at the WWBA 17U National Championship.
Scouting Report: Flemming has a well-rounded blend of tools and skills, with a solid feel for how to grind out at-bats, run the bases and play defense, even if he doesn’t have exceptional power, speed or twitchiness. As a hitter, Flemming’s straightforward lefthanded stroke sprays line drives to all fields. He has skinny legs, but should fill out to eventually develop average power. He’s a heady baserunner despite fringe-average speed. Defensively, he’s an average defender at shortstop. If he gets much bigger, his hands and above-average arm would work at third base as well. He has above-average arm strength, although the length of his arm stroke isn’t ideal and can lead to slower transfers.
The Future: The Rays are stocked with plus defensive shortstops, but Flemming helps them diversify their pool of shortstop prospects. He has more offensive potential than Adrian Santana or Gregory Barrios. Flemming is set to head to Low-A Charleston, where his well-rounded skill set and feel for the game should help him settle into pro ball quickly.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Santana is the son of a pro infielder, Osmany Santana, and it shows. His defensive acumen and baseball intelligence stood out throughout his amateur career, but there were many concerns about his small size and lack of physicality. He hit 11 home runs as a high school senior, which alleviated some worries. Those concerns about his size remain. He handled his jump to High-A Bowling Green by showing excellent barrel control, but it’s essentially all singles. He had 17 extra-base hits.
Scouting Report: Santana is an excellent shortstop thanks to an innate understanding of time. He knows when he needs to rush, and when he can slow down. He has an above-average arm, but it’s his feet that stand out. He glides across the infield. Santana is more comfortable making plays to his left than to his backhand. As a hitter, he’s a bottom-of-the-order slap hitter with 20-grade power. Santana’s 12.5% swing-and-miss rate is exceptional, but pitchers don’t need to worry if they throw in the zone, and he’ll also chase balls out of the zone. He is a plus-plus runner and an excellent basestealing threat.
The Future: Santana remains a 155-pound shortstop, and at times he’s struggled to stay at that weight. His defense has a lot of value, and his basestealing and contact skills give him survival skills offensively, but it will be hard for him to find MLB success as more than a utility infielder unless he adds some power.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 20 | Run: 70 | Field: 60 | Arm: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: One of three players the Rays acquired for Isaac Paredes in a July 2024 trade, Johnson has long been viewed as a future reliever. But it’s hard to move a pitcher to the bullpen when he keeps dominating as a starter. He posted the second-best ERA in the Southern League (2.61) with the second-most strikeouts in the league (149) in a standout 2025 season.
Scouting Report: Johnson’s 2025 season was remarkable. He was one of the best starters in the Southern League relying almost entirely on his four-seam fastball and slider. In an age where some starters are using six or seven pitches, Johnson on most nights needs two. Johnson’s low slot and delivery make his 91-94 mph above-average fastball play better than its velocity or movement would seem to indicate. Hitters just don’t get a good look at the fastball, and his plus 84-86 mph slider is one he can manipulate. He relies on sharp, short-breaking sliders primarily, but he can make it bigger and deeper to run it down and out of the zone to finish off hitters. It generates above-average swings and misses. Despite not having a changeup he trusts, he’s been able to handle lefthanded hitters as well as righthanders.
The Future: Johnson’s success as a starter has delayed the transition, but evaluators still believe that Johnson’s future lies in the bullpen. His low-slot approach could work in the majors as a one-inning reliever as soon as 2026.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Control: 55 -
BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Overn played football as well as baseball as a freshman at Southern California, and after focusing solely on baseball as a draft-eligible sophomore, signed for $850,000 as the 97th pick in 2024. He had a .754 OPS at both High-A Aberdeen and Double-A Chesapeake in 2025, hitting 13 home runs with 64 steals in his first full pro season. He was one of four prospects traded to the Rays for Shane Baz.
Scouting Report: Overn’s dual-sport background means he’s still refining his game on the baseball field, but he still has the potential to impact the game in several ways. Overn is a dynamic player who uses his speed and quick-twitch athleticism to impact the game defensively in center field, where he’s a great defender, as well as on the bases—and he’s already adept at bunting his way on as well. Overn takes good at-bats and gets on base—he walked 13% of the time in 2025—and can hit the ball hard, but some timing deficiencies meant he struggled against velocity in his first full season. He may max out as a fringe-average hitter with fringe-average power, but improving against heaters would raise his overall offensive profile significantly.
The Future: Overn can be an everyday big leaguer with some improvement in that department, given his ability to play a true center field and the traits to play a corner as well. He’s likely to head to Double-A Montgomery to start the 2026 season.
Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 45 | Run: 70 | Field: 70 | Arm: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: Valdez was the Rays’ top international bonus in the 2026 class. He signed for $3.5 million, as he impressed the Rays with his power. He has some of the best power potential in the international class, and he does that while showing the ability to stick in the dirt.
Scouting Report: Valdez has plenty of bat speed and present power. If it all clicks, he could develop into an above-average power hitter. He has a relatively savvy approach at the plate with a simple swing and an up-the-middle approach. Defensively, he’s trending in the right direction. Valdez has worked to improve his quickness and straightline speed. He’s now a plus runner and moves better defensively. There’s still a pretty good chance he ends up sliding from shortstop to third base, but his improved quickness, body control and plus arm should fit there.
The Future: Valdez gives the Rays a power bat to dream on with a chance to make a defensive impact as well.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 45 | Arm: 55
Draft Prospects
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School: Thurston HS, Springfield, Ore. Committed/Drafted: Oregon State. Age At Draft: 19.0.
Saunders is a projectable righthander with a solid three-pitch mix and advanced strike-throwing ability. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds and has been up to 95 mph with his fastball and typically sits in the low 90s. Throughout the 2025 showcase circuit Saunders did a great job pounding the fastball in the zone for strikes, including at the Area Code Games where he threw 14 of his 18 fastballs for strikes (78%) in a quick two-inning look. Saunders has a pair of secondaries that could become solid offerings as well. He has a slurvy, in-between breaking ball in the upper 70s and low 80s that flashes solid gloveside finish and will also mix in a mid-80s changeup. Saunders is committed to Oregon State, where both his parents also went to school, and is expected to be a tough sign. If he does make it to campus, he would be sophomore eligible for the 2028 draft. -
School: TNXL Academy, Altamonte Springs, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Florida State. Age At Draft: 18.5.
Veras has one of the better combinations of size and tools in the 2026 high school class. He’s 6-foot-6, 225 pounds with high-end bat speed and plus raw power. That power has been on display this spring with Veras going on a home run binge, but that power also comes with significant swing-and-miss risk. Veras can punish mistakes, but there’s length to his swing and he’s susceptible to expanding the strike zone. Veras is built like a corner outfielder but he moves well for his size with above-average speed and a plus arm. -
School: St. Paul VI Catholic HS, Chantilly, Va. Committed/Drafted: East Carolina. Age At Draft: 18.5.
Perdue has fast arm speed and more room to add strength to his 6-foot-4 frame, indications that he will be able to add to a fastball that has been up to 93 mph. He pitches with multiple fastball shapes to get more carry or more lively armside run, with good extension and a low release height that helps his fastball play up. Perdue relies heavily on his slider—he sometimes throws it as often as his fastball—and his changeup has promising sink and run. -
School: Saint Joseph’s. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.6.
Coppola pitched as a starter for two seasons with Rutgers in 2023 and 2024, then spent a year at Arizona where he pitched in just three games before transferring to St. Joseph’s for the 2026 season. He’s never been able to replicate a standout 2023 freshman season—which also helped lead to an appearance with the 2023 Collegiate National Team—but he has an enticing two-pitch mix that could make him an interesting senior target. Coppola has a 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame and throws a fastball in the 90-95 mph range with well above-average extension. Despite solid velocity and reach with his heater, he actually pitches heavily off a sweeping slider that has an outlier combination of power and movement. The pitch sits in the mid 80s but also comes with more than 18 inches of gloveside movement—a tricky combination for a pitcher to pull off. He’s used the breaking ball to generate a 46% miss rate, .209 opponent average and 51% groundball rate—all while throwing it 80% of the time. While Coppola’s slider is the pitch that will get him drafted, his fastball’s not a bad offering to back it up and he has some history as a successful starter even though his strikes and performance have been inconsistent. -
School: Fairfield (Conn.) Prep . Committed/Drafted: Notre Dame. Age At Draft: 18.6.
Ventrelle has a medium build (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) with a short, contact-oriented swing from the left side. It’s an unorthodox setup with a wide base spread out into a crouch before starting his swing with no stride. It works for him to put the ball in play at a high clip with a line-drive approach, and the Notre Dame commit could make himself a bigger pro prospect out of college if he’s able to make a lower-half adjustment with his swing to get to more power. He’s a plus runner who should stick in the infield, potentially fitting at second base in pro ball. -
School: O’Connell HS, Arlington, Va. Committed/Drafted: Virginia. Age At Draft: 19.1.
James is a quick-twitch athlete with some of the best footspeed in the prep class. He’s a 6-foot-1, 180-pound switch-hitter and shortstop with plus speed, an above-average arm and the tools that give him a chance to stick at shortstop. James can fire the barrel through the zone with impressive bat speed, but he’s an aggressive hitter who likes to expand the zone and has some rawness to his swing and approach that makes for a tools-over-skills profile. James is committed to Virginia. -
School: South Central HS, Winterville, N.C. Committed/Drafted: Duke. Age At Draft: 18.6.
James is an athletic lefthander with great pure arm talent and loud stuff, but he’s incredibly raw as a pitcher and strike-thrower. He struggled to fill the zone at the 2025 East Coast Pro but came out early in 2026 throwing his fastball in the 93-96 mph range from a low slot—more than enough to interest pro scouts. He also has a slurvy, high-spin breaking ball that blends between a slider and curveball but has promise, especially as a left-on-left miss pitch. -
School: Olathe (Kan.) East HS. Committed/Drafted: Missouri. Age At Draft: 18.8.
Burton is a physical shortstop at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds with strong hands and leverage in his righthanded swing to hit for power. It could end up a power-over-hit offensive game, but Burton did show good bat-to-ball skills on the summer circuit in 2025, though he wasn’t facing top competition. He’s a solid-average runner with the athleticism and arm strength that could allow him to stick in the dirt at third base, though an outfield corner could be another landing spot. -
School: Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic HS. Committed/Drafted: Virginia Tech. Age At Draft: 18.6.
With a short, catcher-like arm action from his background behind the plate, Hoffman throws a high-spin fastball (2,500-2,800 rpm) that sits in the low 90s and touches 94 mph. There should be some more velocity still to come, though Hoffman already has a strong, well-developed 6-foot-3 build. He attacks hitters up in the zone to miss bats with his fastball and shows feel to spin a slider that flashes sharp bite with sweeping action to miss bats at a high clip, while mixing in an occasional changeup that he rarely uses. -
School: Butler (Pa.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Penn State. Age At Draft: 19.1.
Stefaniak is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound righthander who has shown flashes of both power and pitchability over the last year, though doing both at the same time has been more inconsistent. He averaged 92-93 mph and touched 96 in the summer with scattered strikes, but came out early in his senior season with Butler High with less power but more strikes. He eventually built up and showed the same sort of 95-96 mph power in the tank, and also has a pair of promising secondaries. Stefaniak’s low-80s slider has the makings of at least a solid secondary and is his most consistent swing-and-miss pitch, but he also throws an occasional mid-80s changeup. He’s got plenty of arm strength and a frame that suggests more strength and power on the way, but he’ll need to find a bit more consistency to give teams confidence in a starter profile. He’s committed to Penn State and could be a tough sign. If he gets to campus he will be a draft-eligible sophomore for the 2028 class. -
School: Mounds View HS, Arden Hills, Minn. Committed/Drafted: Miami. Age At Draft: 18.4.
Gette has projection traits to like. He has a big frame (6-foot-5, 215 pounds) and, despite some unorthodox parts to his delivery, he has good control of a fastball that’s up to 93 mph. He leans heavily on a sharp, sweeping slider with tight rotation that misses bats at a high clip now and should continue to be a high swing-and-miss pitch for him against better competition. Gette throws a changeup that flashes promise at times but he rarely throws it in games. A Miami commit, Gette could significantly raise his draft profile if he grows into more velocity in college. -
School: Basic HS, Henderson, Nev. Committed/Drafted: Miami. Age At Draft: 18.5.
Kelley was in the 2027 class, but after the 2024 summer circuit he reclassified to become 2026 eligible. He has a lean, athletic 6-foot-2 frame with plus speed and athletic actions at shortstop, where he has good body control, is light on his feet and has a plus-plus arm. Kelley is having a strong spring at the plate, though in the summer there were more swing-and-miss and chase tendencies compared to when he was an underclassman, with modest power. Kelley’s upside is highest as a position player, but he’s also intriguing on the mound, where he’s up to 96 mph and should have more velocity in the tank. -
School: Mater Academy, Hialeah Gardens, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Florida State. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Quevedo’s physicality sticks out right away. He’s extremely strong, has excellent bat speed with a steep swing geared to lift the ball and thunderous raw power that has a chance to develop into a plus-plus tool. Any mistake a pitcher makes to Quevedo with a fastball has a chance to land over the fence or in a gap, but his swing path cuts in and out of the zone quickly and he’s vulnerable to swing-and-miss against secondary stuff and will need to tighten up his plate discipline. For a player his size, Quevedo moves around surprisingly well in the infield. He has experience in the outfield as well and could fit in an outfield corner, but he has played good defense this year at third base, making challenging plays on the run with an above-average arm. -
School: South Walton HS. Committed/Drafted: University of Virginia. Age At Draft: 19.3.
A Kentucky native who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Loy is a physical righthander (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) with smooth, low-effort mechanics. It’s a repeatable delivery that helps him throw strikes with a low-90s fastball that touches 94 mph. He throws a high-spin slider and a curveball, both solid pitches but neither of them is a wipeout offering, though his slider holds more promise. Loy has a changeup but doesn’t throw it much. -
School: Oakland HS, Murfreesboro, Tenn. Committed/Drafted: Central Florida. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Freeman has a thin 6-foot-1 build with starter traits. He’s a prolific strike-thrower, and while there’s a head snap to finish his delivery, he pounds the zone with a fastball that has ticked up to 93 mph and the strength projection to be in the mid 90s or better soon once he gains more weight. Freeman has feel for multiple secondary pitches that can miss bats, including a curveball that flashes sharp bite and good depth along with a changeup that has lively tailing action. -
School: Georgia Tech. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.6.
Zuckerman is a righthanded slugger who spent two seasons with Pittsburgh before transferring to Georgia Tech in 2026, where he became a key piece in the middle of one of the best lineups in the country. A 6-foot-4, 230-pound third baseman, Zuckerman hit .350/.445/.757 with 23 home runs, 16 doubles and some of the most impressive exit velocity data in the country. He’s a hulking presence in the box with great natural strength and easy all-fields power, but he comes with significant contact questions. Zuckerman’s swing is long and steep, and he’s always been prone to strikeouts. He has a 31.9% career strikeout rate and significant miss questions against high-end velocity and offspeed pitches of all types. The Georgia Tech coaching staff has spoken positively about his defensive progress at third base, and the 2026 season was the least error-prone of his collegiate career. -
School: Ole Miss. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 23.3.
Fawley is a physical catcher with a bat-first profile and impressive raw power that is his obvious carrying tool. He was one of just two catchers to hit at least 20 home runs as a sophomore in 2025, and added 13 more as a junior in 2026. In his three college seasons—which includes a seven-game stint with Kentucky in 2024—Fawley is a .246/.363/.584 hitter with 36 home runs in 107 games. He’s filled out with big and broad shoulders and a 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame that allows him to generate tons of strength and all-fields power. Fawley has loud exit velocities and he also does a nice job getting the ball in the air with great frequency. His career fly-ball rate is just over 50%, and he also tends to make his best contact in the air to his pull side. His limitation is well below-average contact skills. He’s struck out 35.3% of the time in his career and has real miss questions against velocity, breaking balls and offspeed offerings. Because of that there are significant questions about how much of his power he’ll be able to tap into in pro ball. He’ll also need to sharpen his defensive actions at catcher, but has handled the position in a full-time capacity for Ole Miss in back-to-back seasons. -
School: Fairfield (Conn.) Prep . Committed/Drafted: Northwestern University. Age At Draft: 18.0.
Out for the spring due to injury, Wong is a high-end recruit for Northwestern with a chance to make an immediate impact next year. Wong turns 17 right after the draft, so he’s young for the class and stands out for his huge 6-foot-7, 215-pound build. He’s up to 94 mph, has projection to throw significantly harder and disrupts hitters’ timing with an advanced changeup that’s ahead of his breaking ball. -
School: Royal HS, Simi Valley, Calif. Committed/Drafted: Arizona. Age At Draft: 18.4.
Dunwoody has a thin 6-foot-2 build and pitches off a lively fastball that has crept up in 2026 to reach 96 mph and could have another uptick coming as he continues to layer on more strength. He complements his fastball with a hard slider into the mid 80s that he shows feel to spin (2,500-2,700 rpm) with tight, gyro shape. Dunwoody will mix in a changeup on occasion, but he has most of his success with his fastball and slider. Strikes were more scattered for Dunwoody on the travel circuit in 2025, but he has done a better job limiting walks in 2026. -
School: Mason (Ohio) HS. Committed/Drafted: Kent State. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Hanley wasn’t heavily recruited before committing to Kent State nearly two years ago, but his stuff has ticked up in 2026 and drawn the attention of MLB clubs. With a strong 6-foot-1 build, Hanley reached the low 90s with his fastball in 2025 and in 2026 he has been up to 96 mph. It’s a strong fastball for his age, but Hanley separates himself with his ability to manipulate multiple secondary pitches, the best one being a sweeping slider with high spin above 3,000 rpm at times, as well as a changeup with good depth. -
School: Edison HS, Huntington Beach, Calif. Committed/Drafted: Washington State. Age At Draft: 18.2.
Hunter is on the younger side of the 2026 class with a lot of projection arrows pointing in the right direction. He’s 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, a tall, lean frame with lots of projection remaining to add to a fastball that has been up to 93 mph. There isn’t one present plus pitch in his arsenal—he mixes in a short slider and flashes some feel for a changeup—but there’s a chance for everything in his arsenal to tick up with strength gains. -
School: Olentangy Liberty HS, Powell, Ohio. Committed/Drafted: Louisville. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Van Engelenhoven has a tall, projectable build at 6-foot-5, with the space to fill out and eventually add to a fastball that has touched 93 mph from his low three-quarters slot. His best pitch is his low-80s slider, which snaps off with sharp, sweeping action and tight rotation above 2,900 rpm at times to miss bats with above-average potential. He throws a mid-80s changeup, but it’s mainly a fastball/slider attack. -
School: Enterprise (Ala.) JC. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted.
Jones is an athletic two-way player who performed at a high level on both sides of the ball for Enterprise (Ala.) State JC in 2026. He hit .326/.446/.543 in 25 games as a righthanded hitter and outfielder. On the mound he posted a 3.08 ERA in 26.1 innings, with a 43% strikeout rate and 19.3% walk rate. MLB teams are interested in his pitching upside. He’s got a long, exaggerated arm action and well below-average control, but bigtime pure stuff. Jones has thrown his fastball in the 93-96 mph range with impressive twitch and arm speed. He also has the making of a plus breaking ball that he can spin close to the 3,000 rpm range. -
School: South Salem (Ore.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Oregon State. Age At Draft: 18.1.
Scott is a strong, filled-out and broad-shouldered righthanded hitter and catcher with solid tools on both sides of the ball. He’s listed at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds with a prototypical catcher’s frame and developing power. Scott has a track record as a patient hitter with impressive bat control and contact skills that make him difficult to strike out. His performance was just modest in the 2025 showcase circuit, but he did flash solid raw power at the Area Code Games and did a nice job hitting a few balls hard up the middle and to the opposite field. He hit close to .500 throughout his high school career with South Salem High, and in his 2026 spring season he started showing more frequent in-game power. He’s got 50-55 arm strength behind the plate and does a nice job getting rid of the ball with solid accuracy, and should have the tools to stick at catcher. Scott is young for the class, but could be a tough sign out of his Oregon State commitment. -
School: Fullerton (Calif.) Union HS. Committed/Drafted: Arizona State. Age At Draft: 18.5.
Fitzgerald has a projectable 6-foot-3 frame and a fastball that reaches 94 mph. There’s feel to spin multiple breaking balls between his slider and curveball, giving him the raw attributes to get more swing-and-miss with those pitches once he adds more power and refines their shape. He throws a changeup that isn’t as advanced as his breaking stuff. -
School: Oregon. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.2.
Clarke is an established strike-thrower with a deep mix of pitches who has been an effective starter for Oregon in back-to-back seasons. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound righthander, Clarke has a clean delivery with a quick arm, and he sits in the low 90s with his fastball. He throws a pair of slider variants, one a short and tight breaking ball and the second a sweeper version with a bit less power, and also mixes a changeup, curveball and cutter. Clarke has advanced feel to land his entire arsenal, and a career strikeout rate near 6%. -
School: TNXL Academy, Ocoee, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Florida. Age At Draft: 18.2.
Hanes is a 6-foot-4 righthander with a long arm swing in the back to throw a fastball that reaches 94 mph with riding life and more velocity to come. He will flash feel for a low-80s slider that has high spin at 2,700-3,000 rpm, showing the traits to become a more consistent swing-and-miss pitch with more development. It’s mostly a two-pitch attack for Hanes, who throws an occasional changeup. -
School: Newport Harbor HS, Newport Beach, Calif. Committed/Drafted: UC Santa Barbara. Age At Draft: 19.0.
Guy has a lean, projectable 6-foot-4 frame and a fastball up to 93 mph with more velocity still to come. It’s a good foundation for a young starting pitcher who moves well on the mound with a low release, good extension and impressive control. Guy is able to ride his fastball up in the zone, miss bats with a changeup that has good sink and fade and a solid slider he flashes feel to spin. -
School: Soquel (Calif.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Cal State Fullerton. Age At Draft: 18.2.
Escalante is a projection lefthander who wasn’t on the national radar much throughout the 2025 national circuit, but was a popup arm for area scouts in Northern California in 2026. He’s a lean and wiry lefthander who needs more physical development, but has plenty of space to fill out his 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame. Escalante is an athletic lefthander who also played football for his Soquel High team, and does a nice job throwing strikes with a three-pitch mix. Nothing he throws now is currently plus, but it’s an operation and arsenal that teams might feel confident profiling as a starter in the long run. He throws his fastball in the 88-92 mph range, with a changeup that could become a solid-average or better secondary and a serviceable breaking ball in the upper 70s. Escalante is committed to Cal State Fullerton and he’ll be on the younger side for high school players in the class. It’s easy to envision him making a significant step forward in the coming years with more strength and a full-time focus on pitching. -
School: Bishop Verot Catholic HS. Committed/Drafted: University of North Carolina. Age At Draft: 19.0.
A righthanded pitcher and catcher, Lawson is especially intriguing on the mound. He has a shorter, catcher-like arm action and a fastball that has jumped this year into the low 90s and touches 94 mph with good carry, though there isn’t a ton of physical projection remaining. His best pitch is a big-breaking curveball that has tight, sharp bite and huge depth, giving him an offering that consistently misses bats and should continue to do so at higher levels. It’s one of the better curveballs in the country and it’s a pitch he throws more than his fastball in some outings. Lawson has a low-80s changeup but rarely uses it yet. -
School: Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, Fla. Committed/Drafted: LSU. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Loew has quick hands, rotates powerfully and generates high-end bat speed for his age. He drives the ball with impact already, showing the ability to go deep from right-center over to his pull side. It does come with an aggressive approach and swing-and-miss tendencies he will need to cut down on, but the potential is there for Loew to end up with plus or better raw power. Loew is a plus runner with the arm for the left side of the infield and could move around the dirt in pro ball, with experience at shortstop but third base a more likely fit as he moves up the ladder. -
School: Normal (Ill.) Community HS. Committed/Drafted: Indiana. Age At Draft: 18.1.
Swartz committed to Indiana early when he was still a freshman and has since broken out as one of the better high school pitchers in the Midwest. He’s young for the class with a fastball that jumped from reaching the low 90s in 2025 to now touching 96 mph. At 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, there’s space for Swartz to get stronger and have another uptick in velocity. Swartz has a good delivery and flashes feel for a breaking ball that’s ahead of his changeup. -
School: Monsignor Farrell HS, Staten Island, N.Y. Committed/Drafted: Central Florida. Age At Draft: 18.0.
There are a lot of traits to like with Raimonda. He’s a 6-foot-5 lefty who is on the younger end of the class, and has a good delivery that he repeats to throw strikes at a high clip. It’s not overpowering stuff, but his fastball has ticked up to reach 92 mph with the physical projection that points to more in the tank. His best pitch is a changeup that he sells well with his arm speed and he consistently executes down and away from hitters to produce empty swings against both righties and lefties. It’s ahead of his slider, a relatively lower-spin breaking ball that will need more development. -
School: Conway (Ark.) HS. Committed/Drafted: University of Arkansas. Age At Draft: 19.1.
Holland was a strong offensive performer on the 2025 travel circuit. He has a short swing, good bat-to-ball skills and the strength to drive balls out to his pull side. Holland isn’t a high-end athlete but he has the tools to catch, including an above-average arm to register pop times down to 1.9 seconds on his best throws. -
School: St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, Kan. Committed/Drafted: South Carolina. Age At Draft: 18.4.
Stewart is a difficult hitter to strike out. He regularly turns in quality at-bats, tracking pitches well with the ability to let the ball travel deep into the hitting zone before taking a short, quick lefty swing. Stewart has impressive bat control and uses the middle of the field with a line-drive approach and doubles power. An average runner, Stewart has good hands and should be able to handle a middle infield spot, whether it’s at shortstop or second base. -
School: McCutcheon HS, Lafayette, Ind. Committed/Drafted: Kentucky. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Swank is a 6-foot-4 righthander with a fastball that’s regularly in the low 90s and can hit 94 mph. He pitches with a long, winding arm action and will need to tighten his control, but he has the projection for mid-90s or better velocity in the next few years. There isn’t one knockout pitch in his arsenal, but Swank leans on his slider when he wants to change speeds, showing feel to spin that pitch with sharp snap at times, and he has flashed feel for a changeup, as well. -
School: West Springfield HS, Springfield, Va. Committed/Drafted: South Carolina. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Dierks has a strong 6-foot-3 frame with some effort to his operation and a strong fastball for his age, sitting in the low 90s and reaching 96 mph. He throws a sharp slider and has feel for a heavy changeup. -
School: Heart Lake Secondary HS, Brampton, Ont. Committed/Drafted: Uncommitted. Age At Draft: 18.2.
Rideout-Carter is a projection righthander from Canada with a lean frame to dream on. He’s ultra skinny at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and throws with a loose, elastic operation on the mound. He throws his fastball in the upper 80s and low 90s now, but has the look of a pitcher who could be in the mid-to-upper 90s at physical maturity. Rideout-Carter has the feel to spin a tight slider with lots of sweep that could become an above-average or better pitch with more power. He also flashes a mid-80s changeup. -
School: Everett (Wash.) JC. Committed/Drafted: Oregon State.
Hicks was a popup arm for scouts in the Pacific Northwest in 2026, and is a relatively raw arm who’s made a significant jump in stuff. He was a two-way player in high school and went to Everett (Wash.) JC with an intention to play both ways, but after getting to campus started to focus on pitching only. He made only three appearances in 2025 and dealt with some arm soreness before shutting things down, but came back in 2026 with a fastball that was up to 97 mph. That power came with solid performance as well. He posted a 0.85 ERA in 31.2 innings—mostly out of the bullpen—with a 37.5% strikeout rate. Hicks has a pair of secondary pitches that are still developing, including a soft slider that gets slurvy but has shape to build on, and a splitter that scouts think might be his better secondary offering. With such little track record and a current reliever profile, Hicks could be viewed as too much of a wild card for big league teams, but there’s real arm talent to develop here. He’s committed to Oregon State, where he could rejoin his former Cedar Park Christian High teammate Adam Haight in 2027. -
School: Christian Military Academy, Vega Baja P.R. Committed/Drafted: Western Kentucky. Age At Draft: 17.5.
Many scouts view Collazo as the top Puerto Rican prospect in the 2026 class. He’s an undersized outfielder who’s also exceptionally young for the class, and is one of the better runners in the prep ranks. His carrying tool is his speed. He consistently turns in 70-grade run times and should have more than enough range to become an impactful center field defender because of that. He also has a strong throwing arm that could become a plus tool. Collazo has some sneaky bat speed as a righthanded hitter, but his offensive game is raw and unproven. He looked overmatched on the 2025 circuit, with lots of swings and misses inside and outside the zone. The 6-foot, 165-pound outfielder is committed to Western Kentucky. -
School: Central Florida. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.9.
Sauser is a strike-thrower with a solid, but unspectacular, four-pitch mix. He threw 10.1 innings for Florida State in 2024 before transferring to Central Florida, where he’s been a command-oriented starter. At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Sauser repeats his delivery well, with good balance and a loose arm. He sits in the 90-92 mph range with his fastball and touches 95. Sauser has a slider and curveball that blend together around 80 mph and aren’t huge bat-missers, but he lands the slider for strikes at an impressive clip. He does a nice job killing spin on a mid-80s changeup that he uses about 10% of the time vs. lefties. -
School: Heartland (Ill.) JC. Committed/Drafted: Orioles ’25 (19). Age At Draft: 20.9.
Anderson was a 19th-round pick of the Orioles in the 2025 draft after a solid season with Heartland (Ill.) JC, but he didn’t sign and returned to the program where he had an even stronger 2026 season. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound righthanded hitter and shortstop hit .465 with 26 home runs and 22 doubles in 59 games as a sophomore. He’s a well-rounded player with a solid toolset and skills on both sides of the ball, though his swing comes with an arm bar that raises questions about how he’s going to handle more consistent velocity at the next level. If that doesn’t prove to be a problem, he has average raw power to go with average speed and an average arm. A shortstop now, Anderson has a chance to stick at the position but might profile better as a second baseman in pro ball. -
School: Binghamton. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.0.
Griffin is a lanky righthander with electric pure stuff, but significant control and delivery questions that add huge variance to his profile. He has a solid pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds and a fastball that sits around 95 and touches 100. He gets to that velocity with plenty of effort, including a dramatic head whack and falloff to the first-base side. He also has one of the more unusual front-foot ankle twists you’ll see in his landing. That delivery inhibits his control, which is near the bottom of the scale. In addition to his fastball Griffin also throws a mid-80s slider, upper-80s cutter and an occasional mid-80s changeup. -
School: South Carolina. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.8.
Philpott spent two seasons with Florida, where he mostly pitched out of the bullpen, then moved to South Carolina for the 2026 season where he seemed primed for a full-time starting role. He missed much of the first part of the season with elbow discomfort, but has high-end pure stuff when healthy. Philpott has a huge pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds and can run his fastball up to 98 mph. He has solid feel to spin the ball and has mixed a mid-80s slider and slower curveball in the upper 70s. He can also miss bats with an upper-80s changeup. -
School: Norwin HS, North Huntington, Pa. Committed/Drafted: Pittsburgh. Age At Draft: 18.1.
Sivrich is a solidly built righthander with a 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame and plenty of arm speed. He throws from the stretch with a clean and quick arm from a three-quarter slot with a handful of solid offerings. His fastball is regularly in the low 90s and has been up to 95, and he pairs the heater with a power slider in the mid 80s. Sivrich will also mix in a mid-80s changeup. He’s a Pittsburgh commit and on the younger end for the 2026 class. -
School: Easley (S.C.) HS. Committed/Drafted: South Carolina. Age At Draft: 18.5.
Cox is a tall pitcher who has started coming into more strength and velocity over the past six months. He typically pitches in the upper 80s and low 90s, but has been up to 95 mph during the 2026 spring. He also has plenty of space on his 6-foot-6, 200-pound frame to envision more physical gains in the near future that could lead to more consistent low-to-mid-90s velocity. Cox throws two different breaking ball shapes, but they can get slurvy and blend together. His best secondary might be a low-80s changeup that he’s shown good feel to land. Cox is committed to South Carolina. -
School: Bishop Heelan Catholic HS, Sioux City, Iowa. Committed/Drafted: Iowa. Age At Draft: 18.3.
LaFavor hasn’t been a big name on the showcase circuit, but he has started to make some noise this spring as a sleeper in Iowa. LaFavor is young for the class with outstanding physical projection left to fill out his 6-foot-7, 195-pound build. It’s an ultra-long build for a pitcher who gets good extension on a fastball that has ticked up in 2026 to sit in the low 90s and touch 95 mph. Given his arm speed and how much room he has left to add good weight, his velocity could spike considerably higher with physical maturation. He has feel to spin a slider that has tight rotation and sharp lateral break at its best. His changeup will flash good shape at times and will need more consistency but could become a bigger weapon with more experience. -
School: Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic HS. Committed/Drafted: TCU. Age At Draft: 18.6.
Skip Schumaker had an 11-year big league career and is now the manager of the Rangers. His son, Brody, has the instincts and baseball IQ that comes from growing up around the game, though a shoulder injury ended his 2026 season early. Schumaker is a high-contact hitter with a short, simple and level swing with some of the better bat-to-ball skills in the class. Schumaker trusts his hands and spreads line drives around the field with gap power. He’s a plus runner who should be able to handle the middle infield, whether it’s at shortstop or more likely second base long term given his arm strength. -
School: Eaton HS, Fort Worth, Texas. Committed/Drafted: Baylor. Age At Draft: 18.4.
Bourland committed to Baylor after the 2025 summer**, a** relatively later commitment for a player who is ticking up but still just scratching the surface of his potential. He’s 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, a tall frame with lots of projection remaining to add to a fastball that keeps trending up, now reaching 96 mph. On the younger end of the class, Bourland has a starter mix with feel to spin a slider that flashes sharp, two-plane break to miss bats when it’s at its best and a changeup he shows feel for as well. As he streamlines his delivery to become more efficient with his mechanics and has natural strength progression over the next few years, his stock has a chance to take off. -
School: Clayton Valley Charter HS, Concord, Calif. Committed/Drafted: Uncommitted. Age At Draft: 18.1.
One of the younger players in the 2026 class, Morris was on the map early as a member of USA Baseball’s 15U National Team in 2023. While his strength and physicality aren’t as advanced as many of his peers, his instinctive, skillful play stands out. Morris didn’t have a loud summer circuit in 2025, but at his best he has shown a short, quick swing to stay inside the ball well with good contact skills and gap power. Morris has experience behind the plate and at shortstop with hands and feet that work well at both positions. He’s a fundamentally-sound defender at shortstop who is capable of making both the routine and rangy plays. He has a good nose for the ball, taking good angles and playing under control with the ability to read hops. -
School: Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif. Committed/Drafted: Georgia Tech. Age At Draft: 19.6.
Lara makes good swing decisions with the patience to rack up walks and the bat control that leaves little swing-and-miss to his game. A lefthanded hitter, Lara has a simple lower-half load before taking a quick, compact swing. He’s comfortable letting the ball travel deep into the hitting zone, using the whole field with a knack for finding the barrel and mostly gap power. Lara has improved his speed to become a plus runner, increasing his chances to handle center field, though he could also end up moving around all three outfield spots. He’s 19 and one of the older players in the 2026 high school class, so he would be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2028 if he makes it to Georgia Tech. -
School: Pennridge HS, Perkasie, Pa. Committed/Drafted: Coastal Carolina. Age At Draft: 19.1.
Olson has a lot of projection arrows pointing up. He’s 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, with a slender, long-limbed build with significant space for him to add more velocity to a fastball that’s already up to 95 mph. His secondary stuff is inconsistent, but his curveball has good depth and his changeup flashes heavy action. -
School: Briarcrest Christian HS, Eads, Tenn. Committed/Drafted: University of Texas. Age At Draft: 19.1.
A 6-foot lefty without a ton of physical projection, Beaird doesn’t have a typical look for a pitching prospect teams draft out of high school, but hitters swing through his fastball like it’s invisible. His fastball sits in the low 90s, touches 94 mph and has huge carry to fly past barrels and consistently generate swinging strikes. Beaird befuddles hitters by elevating with his fastball and then dropping a low-80s splitter with heavy tumble that plays well off his heater. His slider is a relatively lower-spin breaking ball but he executes it well with shorter break. A Texas commit, Beaird could make an immediate impact as a freshman if he makes it to campus. -
School: Kansas State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 20.9.
Evasco set Kansas State’s freshman home run record in 2025, when he hit 11 home runs in 56 games. As a sophomore in 2026 he hit .348/.415/.548 with eight home runs and 10 doubles. Listed at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Evasco has massive raw power from the left side, and actually makes a solid amount of contact, though his swing is unorthodox with some unusual moving parts and an approach that needs to be improved. He’s a hyper-aggressive hitter who’s never walked much, and will need to tone down his swing decisions if he wants to create on-base value and also pick out better pitches that he can drive for damage in games. That will be key for his profile at the next level, because Evasco is a more limited athlete who profiles as a below-average corner outfielder, or potentially first baseman or designated hitter. -
School: Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic HS. Committed/Drafted: College of Charleston. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Marconi brings a promising blend of athleticism, hitting ability and power potential behind the plate. Marconi performed well on the travel circuit in 2025, using a sound righthanded swing to make frequent contact and has the strength in his 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame to drive the ball with authority. The tools are there for him to stick at catcher, where he’s an athletic mover with a strong arm to produce pop times down to 1.9 seconds on his best throws. -
School: Illinois State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.7.
Bakes missed the 2024 season with a medical redshirt with Illinois State, but had a strong offensive season in 2025 and then was one of the most productive hitters in college baseball in 2026. As the team’s everyday left fielder and No. 2 hitter, Bakes slashed .394/.484/.714 with 16 home runs, 22 doubles and excellent plate discipline numbers. Bakes was one of just six college hitters with at least 15 home runs and 20 doubles, and of that group his 1.201 OPS was second behind only Arizona State phenom Landon Hairston. Bakes has a short and stocky, maxed-out frame at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds and generally makes strong swing decisions while hammering the ball when he makes contact. His batting average and strikeout rate might overstate his true underlying contact skills—which are more fringy, especially vs. secondaries—but he has a strong track record of minimizing his strikeouts and taking a fair share of walks. Bakes’ brother, Ryan, caught for two seasons with South Carolina before transferring to join Brayden at Illinois State in 2026. -
School: Saint Mary’s . Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.4.
Castellanos is a contact-oriented lefthanded hitter with two strong seasons of performance with Saint Mary’s. He only played in eight games as a freshman in 2024, but became the starting right fielder in 2025 and 2026. Castellanos is a career .348/.440/.580 hitter with 12 home runs and 28 doubles in 106 games. Listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Castellanos has a high handset and a hitch in his load, but he does a tremendous job putting the barrel on the baseball. He had standout overall contact (88.2%) and in-zone contact (92.1%) rates as a junior in 2026, and while most of his power is of the doubles variety, scouts think he has some sneaky power in the tank as well. Finding a way to tap into more power could be key for Castellanos because, while he can run a bit, he’s more likely a corner outfielder in some capacity than a true center fielder. -
School: Shelbyville (Ind.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Kentucky. Age At Draft: 18.9.
Smith is an impressive athlete with a fast arm and a deep mix of pitches. He has some effort in a delivery that features a tilt in his leg lift and a higher arm slot. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds he’s got a great pitcher’s frame with room to add more strength and physicality. Smith throws multiple fastball shapes, and generally sits in the low 90s but has been up to 95-96 in 2026. He throws a cutter in the upper 80s, a sweepy slider in the low 80s and a curveball in the upper 70s. He’ll also mix in a low-80s changeup. He has the arsenal to start, but will need to refine his delivery and sharpen his strikes. Smith is committed to Kentucky. -
School: Chesterton (Ind.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Kentucky. Age At Draft: 19.1.
Czarniecki does a lot of things well. He takes a tight turn of the barrel into the hitting zone with a compact righthanded swing, enabling him to make contact at a high clip. He has the strength and bat speed to drive balls out to his pull side and is a plus runner with an average arm, giving him a chance to stick in center field. -
School: Gonzaga. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.4.
Bell put up gaudy offensive numbers with Cuesta (Calif.) JC, then transferred to Gonzaga, where he was the back-to-back West Coast Conference player of the year in 2025 and 2026. He’s a 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthanded hitter and third baseman who owns a career .373/.451/.618 slash line and 20 home runs in 105 games. He also played well in a 32-game stint in the Northwoods League in 2025, where he hit .355 with more walks than strikeouts. There’s plenty of pressure on Bell’s hitting ability since he’s a right-right hitter and definite corner profile, but he might have both the approach and the power for that to work. He makes sound swing decisions and did a nice job cutting his strikeout rate from 20.4% in 2025 to 14.3% in 2026, with lots of power that is geared to the left-center gap. Bell’s swing is built to get the ball in the air consistently, but he does have some underlying contact questions against 93+ mph velocity and secondaries—which could inhibit his game power at the next level. Bell played right field in 2025, but moved into Gonzaga’s everyday third base job in 2026. -
School: New Mexico. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted.
Castillo showed impressive control in his first two seasons with New Mexico, but he struggled to prevent runs as a reliever. He moved into a starting role in 2026, where his strikes have backed up but his run prevention has improved. A 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander, Castillo sits around 90 mph and touches 93 with a fastball that has slight natural cutting action. He has above-average feel to land the fastball for strikes, but his secondaries have lagged behind in that department. He also throws a low-80s slider and mid-70s curveball—both with solid pure spin rates—and a low-80s changeup that is used against lefties. -
School: Florida Atlantic. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 20.9.
Adetuyi is a low-slot lefthander with some funk and crossfire in his delivery and a pair of effective secondary pitches. He missed the 2024 season with Florida Atlantic with Tommy John surgery, then returned to the mound as a reliever in 2025. He moved into a starting role in 2026. Listed at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Adetuyi averages around 90 mph with his fastball and touches 92 with just average life. His go-to pitch is a 77-82 mph sweeping slider with about a foot of gloveside movement and spin rates in the 2,700 rpm range. He creates a lot of armside movement with a changeup in the low 80s that becomes a more significant pitch in left-on-right matchups. -
School: St. Theodore Guerin HS, Noblesville, Ind. Committed/Drafted: Alabama. Age At Draft: 19.0.
Troxell is an arm-strength righthander with a big build at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and the makings of a solid three-pitch mix. He has an unusual upright delivery with some effort in his finish and an aggressive trunk tilt through his release that impacts his control, but the pure stuff is promising. He sits in the low 90s with his fastball and has touched 94 mph with a pair of swing-and-miss secondaries. His mid-70s curveball is a high-spin offering with impressive depth and finish. The breaking ball is his go-to secondary, but he also does a nice job killing spin on a low-80s changeup that looks like a promising secondary for right-on-left matchups. -
School: Arizona State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.1.
Longo is a lean, power-hitting center fielder with a great frame and a solid track record of production throughout his college career. He started with Spokane (Wash.) JC, then transferred to Utah Valley in 2025, and finally Arizona State for his 2026 junior season. While Longo has a hitch in his swing and an aggressive approach with some swing-and-miss tendencies, he’s strong and impacts the baseball consistently with more space to fill out his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame. A center fielder now, Longo isn’t a burner and might be a better fit in a corner. He also has experience at third base, shortstop and second base. -
School: Sacred Heart Prep, Atherton, Calif. Committed/Drafted: Southern California. Age At Draft: 18.1.
Covey is young for the class with a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds and solid strike-throwing ability. He throws his fastball in the 88-91 mph range and has been up to 93. Covey has solid feel for a low-spin changeup around 80 mph that’s his best secondary now. It has lots of sink and fade and looks like a swing-and-miss pitch against both lefties and righties, with above-average or better potential. His slider checks in around 80 mph with below-average spin and will need more work to get to the same level as his changeup. -
School: Kelso (Wash.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Ole Miss. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Collins is a strong strike-thrower for a prep pitcher and has a solid three-pitch mix to go with it. He’s a 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthander with a deliberate windup that features some tilt in his leg lift and a deeper arm action, but he does a nice job spotting a low-90s fastball that will touch 93. Collins has solid secondary traits, as well. His mid-80s splitter has looked like an above-average pitch already—and he has the feel to land it—and he has above-average spin capacity on a developing breaking ball around 80 mph. -
School: Radnor (Pa.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Wake Forest. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Kellis is a muscular righthander with a strong 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame and pure stuff trending in the right direction. He throws his fastball around 90 mph but has been up to 95 with a bit of armside run. Kellis also throws a low-80s slider that has modest shape and bite, and will mix in a firm, upper-80s changeup. He has an extended arm action and will need to sharpen his control, which can fluctuate and be erratic at times. -
School: Queen Creek (Ariz.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Arizona State. Age At Draft: 19.2.
Berry is an undersized middle infielder and switch hitter with a 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame. He’s a plus runner who will have a chance to profile somewhere up the middle, whether that’s shortstop, second base or perhaps center field. Berry has middle infield actions, but his pure arm strength might be a better fit for second base. He has a narrow setup from both sides of the plate, but more bat speed and pullside pop from the left side. Even so, he might always be a hit-first offensive player who gets his extra-base hits via doubles in the gap. -
School: Mahtomedi (Minn.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Texas Tech. Age At Draft: 18.9.
Finn has the look of a starter-ish, pitchability lefthander with a loose and easy delivery from a lower three-quarters slot. He has a 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame and made solid strength gains in 2026, with fastball velocity that followed. After pitching mostly in the upper 80s in 2025, Finn pushed his fastball up to 94-95 mph in 2026 with above-average pure spin rates. He mixes a short low-80s slider, but his best secondary is a high-spin changeup in the low 80s with a significant amount of armside fading life. -
School: Texas. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.9.
As team captain, Mendoza helped lead Southlake (Texas) Carroll to a Texas 6A state title as a senior. He then went to the MLB Draft League, where he hit .396 that summer before he ever stepped on Arizona State’s campus as a freshman. Mendoza was an instant contributor, as he hit .315/.367/.443 as a regular for the Sun Devils. He transferred to Texas before his sophomore season and hit .333/.437/.476 in 2025. He’s struggled to match that production in his junior season, but his underlying analytical numbers are better than his slash line would indicate. Mendoza needs to tone down his aggressiveness and make better swing decisions, but when he does let loose, there’s offensive potential. The compact 5-foot-10 righthanded hitter makes plenty of contact thanks to a short stroke that combines solid power with barrel control. Mendoza has stayed firmly planted on second base throughout his collegiate career, which is a useful indicator of his defensive limitations. He makes the routine play and shows solid awareness, but his arm is fringy. -
School: Rhode Island. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.2.
Moroney is an undersized middle infielder with three years of performance and solid secondary tools. He’s been a high-level contributor with Rhode Island for three seasons and hit well over .300 in both 2025 and 2026, with a career .335/.430/.434 slash line and solid plate discipline. Moroney is listed at just 5-foot-11, 185 pounds with very little raw power and only a handful of home runs in his college career. While his 30-grade power projection is a limitation, he does have solid bat-to-ball skills with a chance to be a fringe-average pure hitter in pro ball. While that offensive profile doesn’t provide a huge ceiling, Moroney is an above-average runner with a plus arm who has a chance to stick at shortstop. If he does have to move off shortstop, he could profile as an above-average or plus defender at either second base or third base. -
School: Oregon State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.0.
Scott is a low-slot righthander with an east-west approach who has mainly pitched out of the Oregon State bullpen in 2026. He spent two seasons with Iowa Western JC, where he struck out about a batter per inning as a primary starter. As a junior with Oregon State he posted a 5.48 ERA in 23 innings, and showed the ability to throw multiple innings when things were going well. He’s got a large frame at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds and attacks hitters from a nearly sidearm delivery. Scott sits 93-94 mph with his fastball and has touched 96-97, with natural running life. He flashes a solid slider in the 80-85 mph range, but the pitch can be inconsistent. He also has a mid-80s changeup that gives him a serviceable armside offspeed offering to use against lefties. -
School: Florida. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.1.
McDonald has been a two-way player going back to his prep days with Sickles High, and after missing the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery and only pitching in 2025, was a productive hitter and pitcher for Florida in 2026. He posted a 3.89 ERA as a multi-inning reliever on the mound and hit .316/.381/.658 with six home runs and eight doubles in 23 games as a righthanded hitter and DH. McDonald throws a 91-92 mph fastball and touches 95, with a low-80s slider, upper-80s curveball and mid-80s changeup. Nothing is plus, and he lacks a reliable swing-and-miss pitch, but he fills up the zone and throws plenty of strikes. As a hitter, McDonald has well below-average contact skills, but he hits the ball incredibly hard when he does connect with solid all-fields power. -
School: Torrey Pines HS, San Diego. Committed/Drafted: UC Santa Barbara. Age At Draft: 18.8.
Jutronich fits the mold of most UC Santa Barbara pitching commits. He’s a projectable lefthander with a 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame that has plenty of room for more strength and throws lots of strikes with a clean delivery. The stuff will need to improve, but most scouts expect that to happen as he develops over the next few seasons. He throws his fastball in the 88-90 mph range currently and touches 91-92, with a slider, curveball and changeup that are all still developing. Jutronich wasn’t a high-profile target entering the spring, but he’s had plenty of eyes on him during his senior season with Torrey Pines High in San Diego. -
School: Normal (Ill.) Community HS. Committed/Drafted: Cincinnati. Age At Draft: 18.4.
Michaels is a lean and athletic shortstop with solid tools on both sides of the ball to go with a strong offensive track record. He’s thinner with a 6-foot, 175-pound frame but is a plus runner with a strong arm that should help him stick at shortstop. He has a simple and compact swing from the right side and shows solid hand speed with frequent quality contact in games, though he does have some slight swing-and-miss tendencies. -
School: Fairfield (Conn.) Prep . Committed/Drafted: Connecticut. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Lombardo is a toolsy righthanded hitter and outfielder with traits to like but an unorthodox swing that leaves scouts wondering about his true hitting potential. He has a noisy load with a significant hand hitch in his swing, but he fires the bat through the zone with impressive hand speed and also was a solid performer at the 2025 Area Code Games. Lombardo has strength and some power, and he’s at least an above-average runner who will have a chance to stick in center field with improved route running and more defensive reps. -
School: St. Joseph’s . Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.9.
McCarron started his career at Maryland where he pitched briefly in a bullpen role in 2024, then spent a season with State JC of Florida in 2025 before pitching as a full-time starter with St. Joseph’s in 2026. The 6-foot, 190-pound righthander posted a 5.27 ERA in 15 starts and 70 innings and has a deep mix of solid pitches. He sits in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball and has touched 95, while also mixing in an upper-80s cutter, a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup. -
School: Bishop Manogue Catholic HS, Reno, Nev. Committed/Drafted: Uncommitted. Age At Draft: 18.7.
Dolan is a righthander with a great pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with present strength and more room to fill out. He throws his fastball in the low 90s and has been up to 96, with a trio of solid secondaries. He throws a cutter-esque breaking ball in the mid 80s and also has more of a three-quarter breaking curveball in the low 80s. Dolan will mix in a mid-80s changeup as well that looks like a solid pitch to attack lefties. His strikes come and go and will need more refinement to profile as a starter in the long run. -
School: Weatherford (Texas) JC. Committed/Drafted: Arkansas.
Hering is a monstrous righthander with a 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame and huge stuff, but very little feel to command it. He struck out 144 batters in just 74.2 innings as a senior with Mineral Wells High in Texas, then pitched for Weatherford (Texas) JC in 2026. With Weatherford, Hering posted a 4.58 ERA in 39.1 innings, with 34 strikeouts but 41 walks. He has a high-spin pitch mix and a fastball that’s regularly in the mid 90s and has been up to 98. Hering also throws a mid-80s slider, upper-70s curveball and low-80s changeup. His father, Hart, was a member of the inaugural Weatherford baseball team back in 2003 and threw the first-ever pitch for the program. Hering is an Arkansas commit and looks like a potential reliever in pro ball. -
School: Lake Mary (Fla.) HS. Committed/Drafted: Clemson. Age At Draft: 18.8.
Hernandez is a big and athletic righthanded hitter who creates impressive leverage and power in his swing and has a chance for plus power in the future. He’s solidly built at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, and despite that size, he moves well with a solid first step and plus run times in workout environments. Hernandez has a power-over-hit offensive profile and needs to both tighten his swing decisions and also figure out a way to make more contact. His swing can get lengthy at times and there are some moving parts in his swing. While he moves well for his size, he doesn’t have the actions to stick in the middle, but could develop into a solid third baseman with an easy plus arm for the position. -
School: Santa Clara. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.1.
Santa Clara athletics runs in the Cleary family. Ben Cleary is a shortstop with impressive contact skills, while his father, Tom, played football for the program from 1989-1993. Cleary earned a full-time starting role in his 2024 freshman season, and has been a consistent offensive contributor and middle infielder ever since. He’s a 6-foot, 200-pound righthanded hitter who owns a career .308/.406/.408 slash line with more walks (70) than strikeouts (65). Cleary is a contact hitter through and through. He stays within the strike zone and does an excellent job putting the barrel on the ball against any pitch type or velocity, with a 90% in-zone contact rate in 2026. The few home runs he has hit in college have gone to the pull side, but Cleary’s raw power is modest and he’s unlikely to grow into significantly more in the future. Middle infield defensive value should help curb the limitations of his offensive impact. Cleary has a chance to stick at shortstop at the next level with solid actions and enough arm strength for the position, and should have no issues at second base if he needs to slide to the right side of the infield. -
School: Mississippi State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.0.
Davis has been a reliable and durable member of the Mississippi State bullpen for two years, after two productive years at Itawamba (Miss.) JC. He’s shown he can work effectively on back-to-back days, although those appearances are few and far between. He’s a filled-out 6-foot-4, 230-pound righthander who works in and out from a very low three-quarters arm slot. There aren’t many low-slot pitchers who can throw as hard as Davis, as he sits 95-96 mph with his two and four-seam fastballs and he’s touched 99. He relies heavily on an above-average hard 89-91 mph slider that has a few variants. He’s shown the ability to throw with depth and curveball shape, but he can also throw it with more tilt to run it off the plate to righthanders. While some pitchers with his arm slot struggle against lefties, that hasn’t been a problem for Davis so far. His downer slider is relatively platoon neutral, and he’s comfortable working down and in on lefties’ hands. He’s a priority senior sign who should be a productive pro reliever. -
School: Arkansas. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.3.
Ruiz played two seasons with Houston Christian, and then moved to Lamar where he was the 2025 Southland Conference hitter of the year. He transferred to Arkansas for the 2026 season, where he’s played left field and hit at the top of the order with solid plate skills. Ruiz is listed at 6 feet, 190 pounds, and has done a nice job managing his at-bats, minimizing his strikeouts and hitting for occasional pullside pop. While Ruiz hasn’t shown the typical power scouts want to see from a right/right corner outfielder in college, his top-end exit velocity data is solid, and he could have more in the tank with a more aggressive approach on middle-middle pitches. -
School: Liberty. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.2.
Liberty has been a must-see stop for crosscheckers and high-level decision makers because of righthander Ben Blair. And when scouts see Blair, they often get to see Marsh playing excellent defense behind him. Marsh has been the Flames shortstop since his freshman season. Marsh is a rangy and fluid defender with the body control and quick-twitch athleticism that gives him a chance to make plays that other shortstops can’t even attempt. Marsh’s anticipation and reactions could improve further. He’s often just a half-step away from making the exceptional play. He prefers to throw from a three-quarters arm slot and uses his feet to get moving toward first base whenever possible, but he will flash an above-average arm when it’s required. Offensively, Marsh has made significant strides as a junior. He failed to slug .400 or hit .300 in either of his first two seasons at Liberty, but he’s shown improved contact and power this year. He’s a bottom-of-the-order hitter with a below-average hit tool and well-below-average power. Marsh’s durability, reliability and defensive ability make him a useful pro shortstop who could also play second or third base if he ends up in a utility role. -
School: Florida. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.3.
Bastian was one of the top transfers in the country after two strong seasons with Jacksonville, including a 2025 campaign in which he hit .302/.433/.552 -
School: Arizona State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.4.
The son of 14-year major league veteran Lyle Overbay, Alex Overbay spent the first two seasons of his college career as a reliever at UNLV before transferring to Arizona State for his draft season in 2026. He opened the year in the Sun Devils’ bullpen but moved into its weekend rotation in early March. The 6-foot-2 righthander works from a near over-the-top slot and generates above-average carry on a 95-97 mph fastball that touches 98 with a flat attack angle. He mixes a mid-80s slider with sweep and a high-80s to low-90s cutter nearly evenly, with the slider serving as his primary swing-and-miss pitch. Overbay also throws a high-80s changeup with fade and tumble that shows above-average separation from his fastball. -
School: Dallas Baptist. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.9.
Bennett played two seasons with San Jacinto (Texas) JC before transferring to Dallas Baptist, where he’s been a consistent source of power in the 2025 and 2026 seasons. At 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, Bennett has huge raw power and has done a nice job accessing that power to the pull side at DBU. His exit velocity data jumps off the page, and he also has solid on-base skills thanks to a patient—and at times passive—approach. Bennett is a catcher and outfielder in theory, but in practice he’s been a full-time DH over the last two seasons. He’s a senior who will still be 21 on draft day and will be heavily valued by models thanks to his offensive numbers. -
School: Duke. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 22.0.
A transfer from Xavier, Lamdin was a pitcher/shortstop who now focuses on being a position player as a junior at Duke. It’s a wise choice because he’s an exceptional defender. Lamdin’s best plays at shortstop are spectacular. He glides and if needed slides under control, popping up athletically to turn difficult plays into easy outs. He can make the play in the hole, showing a quick release and an above-average arm. He has excellent awareness of everything going on around the infield, which means he has on multiple occasions nabbed runners at third on plays where most shortstops would have just pocketed the ball. He’s particularly adept at tracking down fly balls in the no man’s land between the outfield and infield. If Lamdin could hit, he’d be an excellent pro prospect, but there’s not much of a sign that he will ever be anything more than a pesky bottom-of-the-order bat. He didn’t hit .300 as a high school senior, and he’s never hit .300 at any college stop including two summer league stints. He tries to hit for power without enough contact skills to make it work. He’s an average runner who is an adept basestealer. -
School: TCU. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.2.
A redshirt sophomore, Thomas spent two years at Hawaii before transferring to TCU. He’s long been coveted for his well-above-average extension, but the success he had at Hawaii in 2025 hasn’t carried over to TCU. Thomas gets swings and misses with his 92-97 mph fastball, especially when he’s locating it up in the zone, but he has struggled to throw his low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup for strikes. While his fastball will flash above-average potential, he doesn’t throw his secondaries for strikes enough to use them when behind in counts. That allows hitters to sit on his fastball, which explains why hitters hit .600/.789/.900 in three-ball counts as of late April. -
School: Arkansas. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.9.
After making just two appearances in 2024, McGuire has settled into a midweek starter/weekend reliever role for two seasons at Arkansas, but he’s struggled to carve out a more significant assignment. McGuire has an extremely over-the-top delivery with a long arm action in the back and a massive trunk tilt. But none of that has kept him from throwing strikes. He can locate his low-80s cutterish slider and 91-94 mph fringe-average fastball consistently. Neither projects as a plus pitch, and he’s going to need to add velocity in pro ball, as he’s sitting at 92 mph in two-to-three-inning stints. He also has a fringe-average changeup he throws almost exclusively to lefties. McGuire does throw strikes and has a solid pitcher’s frame. If a pro team can help him add a couple of ticks, he could be a useful reliever. -
School: UC San Diego. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 20.7.
Camacho is young for a college player in the 2026 class, and doesn’t turn 21 until September. He’s a 6-foot-1, 210-pound first baseman and lefthanded hitter with lots of strength and pullside power. He regressed slightly with his contact skills in 2026, but that came with more in-game power—a trade-off many teams might happily take. While Camacho doesn’t walk much, he’s one of those hitters who has a knack for getting hit by pitches. He had 18 in 2024 with Pacific and has had more than 20 in both of his seasons with UC San Diego. -
School: Middle Tennessee State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.0.
If you take a glance at King’s stats at Middle Tennessee State, you may wonder how it’s possible that he could hear his name called come draft day. After all, there are plenty of college pitchers who don’t give up .300+ opponents batting averages or ERAs that struggle to get below 8.00. But King is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. He’s a massive 6-foot-7 righthander with above-average stuff and the trendline is pointing in the right direction. King was committed to South Carolina before he blew out his elbow as a high school senior. He ended up at Volunteer State (Tenn.) JC instead. There he threw hard but showed no idea of the strike zone in four late-season appearances. It wasn’t much better in the early going at MTSU, but as the season has worn on, he’s started to find the strike zone. King has touched 99 mph with his lively four-seam fastball, although he sits 94-95 mph, and he flashes a plus low-80s curveball that has wicked depth at its best. He’s nowhere near where he will need to be, and he’ll hit a batter, throw another to the backstop and then break off two plus breaking balls in the span of 10 pitches. But as a later-round project, a team willing to work with him could get a gem. -
School: UNC Wilmington. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.1.
Lucas played a season for Gaston (N.C.) JC in 2024 before heading to UNC Wilmington and taking over third base duties. He’s a 6-foot, 195-pound righthanded hitter with solid bat-to-ball skills and savvy swing decisions, but might not have prototypical power for the hot corner. Despite that, Lucas is in the midst of a career-best offensive season and also moves well defensively with the hands, actions and arm strength that could make him a solid defender. -
School: Southeastern Missouri State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted.
Klein was a two-year standout for Southeastern (Ill.) JC, then transferred to Southeast Missouri State for the 2026 season. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound outfielder stepped into the team’s everyday center field and leadoff role. Klein has shown a solid blend of swing decisions, contact and speed with an unusual batted ball profile. His home runs have gone exclusively to the pull side, but he has an inside-out swing and a tendency to shoot the ball to the opposite field with great frequency. -
School: North Florida. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.7.
Farner was little recruited out of high school, but he’s steadily climbed the ladder in college to make himself into a draft prospect. He showed his defensive versatility at Rollins (Fla.) College as a freshman in 2024. He made offensive improvements at Northwest Florida JC in 2025 and then put it all together at North Florida in 2026. Farner played second and third base early in his collegiate career and in the Florida Collegiate summer league, but he’s locked down shortstop for the Ospreys. He has shortstop’s actions and the above-average arm to make plays from the hole. As a hitter, Farner knows the strike zone and he’ll maximize his fringe-average power by getting the ball into the air to the pull side. His setup and load mean he has some length to his swing once he gets going. He hasn’t had to face much top-end velocity to demonstrate that his current setup can handle 95-plus mph fastballs, and he has struggled to hit sliders. -
School: Louisiana Tech. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.6.
Hawsey is a burly lefthanded hitter with a 6-foot-2, 240-pound frame and the raw power that can make any ballpark look small. He has 70-grade raw power at least, with excellent top-end exit velocity data in games, but an aggressive approach that could limit the sort of pure hitter he becomes. Hawsey has no issues against fastballs or pro-caliber velocity, but secondaries have been more of a challenge. He’s a poor runner who looks like a first base or DH only, so all of his value will be driven by how much of his massive power he can tap into in games. -
School: Central Florida. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.4.
Wicker is a long and lean 6-foot-7, 190-pound righthander who still has space to fill out and attacks hitters with a long arm action and a lower three-quarters slot. He sits around 90-92 mph with his fastball and has been up to 96, while using a curveball around 80 mph and a changeup in the same velocity band as his primary secondaries. His changeup stands out for its extreme armside fade and has been his most consistent bat-misser in 2026. Wicker also throws a shorter, mid-80s cutter. -
School: Oklahoma. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.0.
Catalano pitched as a full-time reliever with Oklahoma in 2025, then moved into a midweek starter role in 2026 during his eligible sophomore season. He’s a 6-foot, 200-pound righthander who sits around 92 mph and has been up to 96 with his fastball, which comes with solid cut-ride life. He throws a mid-80s cut/slider as his primary breaking ball, but also mixes in a mid-80s changeup and mid-70s curveball and ties everything together with solid control. -
School: Wichita State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.3.
Kaufer spent two seasons with Texas A&M and a season with South Carolina before his 2026 season with Wichita State. He was in the midst of a breakout 2026 season as a senior and hit .431/.567/1.157 with 11 home runs in just 18 games before a season-ending injury ended his season. Kaufer is a 6-foot, 210-pound catcher and righthanded hitter who showed an extremely patient approach early in 2026, with a violent and steep swing when he did pull the trigger. He boasted impressive exit velocity data that backed up his home run output, though his previous offensive track record in college and summer leagues is light. -
School: Missouri State. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.7.
Knight played just a handful of games with Oklahoma State in 2024, then transferred to Missouri State and became one of the most impressive two-way players in college baseball in 2025. He’s a 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefthanded reliever who throws an 89-92 mph fastball and has a high-spin slurve in the upper 70s and low 80s that he uses as his primary pitch. As a hitter, Knight can create impressive leverage with a steep swing that leads to impressive power when he connects, but his contact skills are well below average and will always come with a sizable strikeout rate.
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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." -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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 -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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 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." -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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 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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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. -
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. -
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." -
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." -
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 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." -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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."
Top 100 Rankings
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Defensive SS 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 Reliever 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 Control in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm 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 Fastball in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect 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 Fastest Baserunner in the Florida State League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect 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 Fastest Baserunner in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Carolina 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 Baserunner in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline 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 Defensive 1B in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the Carolina League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Fastest 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 Defensive SS in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball 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 Reliever in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Baserunner in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive SS 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 Defensive 1B 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 Catcher in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect in the Midwest League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 2B in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Outfielder in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Batting Prospect in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Strike-Zone Discipline in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 3B in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Fastball in the International League in 2006
- Rated Fastest Baserunner in the International League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch 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 SS in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Control in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Most Exciting Player in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive 1B in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Power Prospect in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Pitching Prospect 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 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 Fastball in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Outfield Arm in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Defensive Catcher in the South Atlantic League in 2006
- Rated Best Reliever in the Eastern League in 2006
- Rated Best Infield Arm in the Eastern 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
Career Transactions
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RHP Wranigher Navas assigned to DSL Mets Orange.
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RHP Angel Garcia assigned to DSL Royals Fortuna from DSL Royals Ventura.
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RHP Delvin Medina assigned to DSL Royals Ventura from DSL Royals Fortuna.
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RHP Randiel Vicente assigned to DSL Mets Blue.
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Charros de Jalisco activated OF Alejandro Quezada from the reserve list.
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Charros de Jalisco placed LHP Isaias Felix on the reserve list.
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Caliente de Durango activated RHP Romelio Lopez from the reserve list.
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El Paso Chihuahuas activated RHP Ty Adcock from the 7-day injured list.
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ACL Dodgers released RHP Marco Corcho.
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Caliente de Durango activated RHP Romelio Lopez from the reserve list.
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Caliente de Durango placed 3B Jose Alvarez on the reserve list.
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3B Murphy Stehly retired.
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RHP Hunter Gregory assigned to Wichita Wind Surge.
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Richmond Flying Squirrels transferred RHP Cristian Alvarado to the Development List.
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Richmond Flying Squirrels activated LHP Jack Choate from the 7-day injured list.
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ACL Reds activated LHP Reid Clague from the 7-day injured list.
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Reno Aces activated LHP Spencer Giesting from the 7-day injured list.
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Reno Aces transferred RHP Isaiah Campbell to the Development List.
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Somerset Patriots activated OF Cole Gabrielson.
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Somerset Patriots placed LF Jace Avina on the 7-day injured list.
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Somerset Patriots placed RHP Harrison Cohen on the 7-day injured list.
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Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred C Lou Albrecht to the Development List.
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Lehigh Valley IronPigs released RHP Bryse Wilson.
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RHP Harley Fernandez assigned to DSL Rangers Red from DSL Rangers Blue.
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LHP Breyner Figuereo assigned to DSL Rangers Blue from DSL Rangers Red.
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RHP Argenis Granado assigned to DSL Rangers Blue.
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C Daniel Bastardo assigned to DSL Cubs Blue.
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RHP Jose Vega assigned to DSL Cardinals.
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RHP Jackson Wells assigned to Asheville Tourists from Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
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SS Reylin Perez assigned to FCL Astros from Asheville Tourists.
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Erie SeaWolves sent SS Jack Penney on a rehab assignment to West Michigan Whitecaps.
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Wisconsin Timber Rattlers activated RHP Jose Nova from the Development List.
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Wisconsin Timber Rattlers placed LHP J.D. Thompson on the 7-day injured list.
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RHP Matt Pushard assigned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
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Lakeland Flying Tigers placed RHP Donye Evans on the 7-day injured list.
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Lakeland Flying Tigers placed RHP Kelvis Salcedo on the 7-day injured list.
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LHP Joey Lucchesi assigned to Salt Lake Bees.
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Salt Lake Bees placed LHP Houston Harding on the 7-day injured list.
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Knoxville Smokies placed RHP Jake Knapp on the 7-day injured list.
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C Elias Díaz elected free agency.
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OF Cole Gabrielson assigned to Somerset Patriots from Hudson Valley Renegades.
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2B Jonathan Araúz assigned to Tecos de los Dos Laredos.
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Diablos Rojos del Mexico placed LHP Juan Pablo Lopez on the reserve list.
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Diablos Rojos del Mexico activated RHP Jorge Monroy from the reserve list.
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Visalia Rawhide placed RHP Alex Galvan on the 7-day injured list.
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Toledo Mud Hens transferred 2B Max Burt to the Development List.
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Visalia Rawhide activated LHP Wilkin Paredes from the temporarily inactive list.
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Toledo Mud Hens activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
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San Antonio Missions placed RHP Andrew Dalquist on the 7-day injured list.
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St. Lucie Mets activated LHP Conner Ware from the 7-day injured list.
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Cedar Rapids Kernels sent RHP Charlee Soto on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Mighty Mussels.
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San Antonio Missions activated C Brendan Durfee from the 7-day injured list.
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RHP Danis Correa assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.
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Saraperos de Saltillo placed RHP Manny Barreda on the reserve list.
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RHP Fineas Del Bonta-Smith assigned to Saraperos de Saltillo.
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Chattanooga Lookouts activated LHP Nick Sando from the 7-day injured list.
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Chesapeake Baysox sent RHP Keagan Gillies on a rehab assignment to Frederick Keys.
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Caliente de Durango traded RHP Eury Ramos to Leones de Yucatan.
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Houston Astros sent RHP Cristian Javier on a rehab assignment to Corpus Christi Hooks.
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LHP Luis Cesar assigned to Jupiter Hammerheads from Beloit Sky Carp.
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Cedar Rapids Kernels activated RHP Nolan Santos from the 7-day injured list.
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LHP Jonathan Rosario assigned to Jupiter Hammerheads from FCL Marlins.
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Jupiter Hammerheads activated LHP Jonathan Rosario.
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Dayton Dragons placed RHP Ty Floyd on the 7-day injured list.
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RHP Gerinton Mendez assigned to FCL Marlins from Jupiter Hammerheads.
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Olmecas de Tabasco activated RHP Jonathan Cortes from the reserve list.
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Olmecas de Tabasco activated RHP Juan Macias from the reserve list.
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Olmecas de Tabasco placed LHP Ozzie Mendez on the reserve list.
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Olmecas de Tabasco placed LHP Antonio Jimenez on the reserve list.
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RHP Brett Sears assigned to Columbus Clingstones from Gwinnett Stripers.
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RHP Austin Amaral assigned to Fredericksburg Nationals from Wilmington Blue Rocks.
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RHP Justin Topa assigned to Buffalo Bisons.
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RHP Chad Dallas roster status changed by Buffalo Bisons.
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SS Johnny Ascanio assigned to Louisville Bats from Chattanooga Lookouts.
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RHP Jared Lyons assigned to Louisville Bats from Chattanooga Lookouts.
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Pensacola Blue Wahoos activated RHP Jake Christianson.
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Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Nick Mikolajchak.
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Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Yehizon Sanchez.
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Wichita Wind Surge activated RHP Paulshawn Pasqualotto.
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DSL Rays activated RHP Jhonny Aranguren.
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Omaha Storm Chasers activated LHP Bailey Falter.
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Omaha Storm Chasers placed SS Dustin Dickerson on the 7-day injured list.
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Omaha Storm Chasers activated LF Matthew Lugo.
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Worcester Red Sox activated RHP Osvaldo Berrios from the 60-day injured list.
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Saraperos de Saltillo activated RHP David Gutierrez from the reserve list.
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Columbus Clippers activated CF Petey Halpin.
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Springfield Cardinals placed RHP Mason Burns on the full-season injured list.
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Fredericksburg Nationals activated RHP Marlon De La Cruz.
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DSL Rojos activated RHP Deivi Garcia.
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DSL Rojos activated C Diego Pacheco.
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DSL Miami activated RHP Eliezer Peralta.
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DSL Phillies placed RHP Chan-Min Park on the restricted list.
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RHP Jordan Key roster status changed by DSL Athletics.
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RHP Manuel Fernandez roster status changed by DSL Athletics.
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DSL Cardinals activated RHP Beiker Rodríguez.
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DSL Mets Blue activated C Adrian La Rosa.
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LHP Diony Brujan roster status changed by DSL Royals Ventura.
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Chattanooga Lookouts placed RHP Irvin Machuca on the 7-day injured list.
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El Paso Chihuahuas sent RHP Ty Adcock on a rehab assignment to Fort Wayne TinCaps.
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Louisville Bats sent RHP Julian Aguiar on a rehab assignment to Dayton Dragons.
