2023 Top 100 Prospects

After two months of the minor league season, much has changed in the prospect world. Plenty of players have graduated, including three of the top 10 prospects from the preseason: Orioles’ infielder Gunnar Henderson, D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll and Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
Other prospects received their first taste of the big leagues and struggled, like Orioles righthander Grayson Rodriguez and Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker. Both players were eventually optioned back to Triple-A, though Walker has since returned.
Beyond prospects reaching the big leagues for the first time, others have made significant improvements to their prospect stock. Perhaps the most notable in this category is Padres catcher Ethan Salas, who skipped both the DSL and the Arizona Complex League before landing in Low-A two days before he turned 17 years old. Salas’ arrow has pointed straight up since signing in January, and the Padres showed their trust in him early by allowing him to catch bullpens for big leaguers and get his feet wet in a Cactus League game.
Among other notable risers is Braves righthander AJ Smith-Shawver. Unranked on the preseason list, Smith-Shawver used a smoothed-out delivery and a new curveball to bull-rush the minor leagues on the way to his big league debut. He made no more than three starts apiece at High-A, Double-A and Triple-A before landing in Atlanta.
On the other side of the coin, some prospects have seen their stock take a hit. Nationals outfielder Elijah Green has plenty of impact potential, but the rates of swing and miss he’s shown early in his career make most scouts believe he’ll have serious trouble getting to it at the highest levels.
Royals first-rounder Gavin Cross also dropped off from the preseason list for the same reason. Through June 7, the Virginia Tech product was striking out at a rate north of 30% in the High-A Midwest League.
These Top 100 updates are fueled by feedback from the industry and data gathered from sources. The list will be updated again later this summer, closer to the midseason trade deadline.
By then, players who’ve fallen might rebound and the spring’s biggest risers might come back to Earth. If that happens, we'll make our best effort to reflect the industry’s most up-to-date outlook.
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Elly De La Cruz
Reds SSNotes:Tools: Hit: 40 | Power: 70 | Run: 80 | Field: 55 | Arm: 80
Skinny: De La Cruz quickly shrugged off a slow start at Triple-A to show the best tools in baseball. He has a top-of-the-scale arm, speed and raw power, which is why he's now in Cincinnati, where he's the focal point of the Reds' rebuild.Less - 2Last: 6
Jackson Holliday
Orioles SSNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Low-A proved to not be much of a challenge for Holliday, and he saw a promotion to High-A before the end of April. A shortstop with advanced plate skills and projectable power, Holliday looks like a potential superstar in the making.Less - 3Last: 1
Jackson Chourio
Brewers OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 70 | Run: 70 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50
Skinny: Chourio marched through both levels of Class A as an 18-year-old, reaching Double-A by season’s end in 2022. His elite combination of tools and advanced skills for his age gives him arguably the highest upside of any player on the Top 100.Less - 4Last: 5
Eury Perez
Marlins RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 65
Skinny: At just 20 years old, Perez is more than holding his own in Double-A. His mid-to-high-90s four-seamer, high-80s slider and changeup allow him to miss bats and keep hitters off balance. His plus command ties everything together. Perez skipped Triple-A and made his big league debut on May 12. He struck out 24 over as many innings in his first five starts.Less - 5Last: 9
James Wood
Nationals OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: An athletic freak with plus-plus power and advanced on-base skills, Wood has the type of superstar upside you can dream on. It’s just a matter of refining his bat-to-ball skills to a point that allows him to tap into his raw power consistently. He crushed the competition in the High-A South Atlantic League and earned a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg, where he socked a pair of home runs in his first six games.Less - 6Last: 2
Jordan Walker
Cardinals 3B/OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 60
Skinny: After breaking camp with the Cardinals, Walker showed he’s capable of hitting major league pitching as a 20-year-old. While he’s still growing into his new position in the outfield, Walker should blossom into one of the best power-hitting corner outfielders in baseball. After struggling in the big leagues, Walker was sent back to Triple-A for more seasoning but was recalled again on June 2.Less - 7Last: 8
Marcelo Mayer
Red Sox SSNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 40 | Field: 60 | Arm: 60
Skinny: An advanced hitter with feel to hit, on-base skills and power, Mayer is a standout offensive player with the ability to give opposing pitchers fits. After a cold start to the season, Mayer has begun to turn a corner. He was promoted to Double-A on May 30.Less - 8Last: 9
Evan Carter
Rangers OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 50
Skinny: No prospect has raised his stock in the early part of the season the way Carter has. A center fielder with advanced on-base ability, baserunning acumen and bat-to ball skills, Carter has begun to show above-average or better power in games. Carter is looking like one of the best picks of the five-round 2020 draft.Less - 9Last: 10
Bobby Miller
Dodgers RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50
Skinny: When it comes to raw stuff, few pitchers on the planet are in Miller’s weight class—he boasts an upper-90s fastball, a double-plus slider and a plus changeup. If it all clicks Miller has front-of-the-rotation potential. So far his only limiting factors have been health and inconsistent command. Miller made his big league debut on May 23 and was excellent through his first four big league starts.Less - 10Last: 11
Gavin Williams
Guardians RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
Skinny: Recently promoted to Triple-A, Williams is a true power pitcher with a mid-to-upper-90s fastball, an above-average slider and a curveball. Williams looks like the next Guardians pitching prospect to ascend to the big league rotation with true No. 2 starter upside.Less - 11Last: 12
Andrew Painter
Phillies RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 70.
Skinny: If not for a poorly timed arm injury Painter might be a member of the Phillies rotation now. His plus mid-to-high-90s fastball and slider dominated minor league competition in 2022. If Painter returns to full health, he could once again rank as the top pitching prospect in baseball.Less - 12Last: 13
Tanner Bibee
Guardians RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55
Skinny: Every season Bibee seems to take another large step forward. In 2022 he emerged as one of the game’s breakout prospects. In 2023 he looks like one of the Guardians’ best starters. With a combination of advanced command and a viable arsenal of average or better pitches, Bibee has all the ingredients to be a mid-rotation or better starter, which he's shown in the big leagues since his debut on April 26.Less - 13Last: 14
Taj Bradley
Rays RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 60 | Control: 60
Skinny: One of the most dynamic pitching prospects in the minors, Bradley uses a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a high-80s cutter to find success. He debuted in the major leagues this season and looks like a rotation stalwart for the Rays for years to come.Less - 14Last: 15
Jordan Lawlar
Diamondbacks SSNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: The 2021 first-rounder flew through the lower minors to reach Double-A in his first full season. While he has struggled early on in 2023, his standout tools at the plate and in the field could see Lawlar develop into an all-star-caliber shortstop.Less - 15Last: 16
Colton Cowser
Orioles OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55.
Skinny: Cowser has a lot of hitterish qualities—he's produced average and power at Triple-A Norfolk—but he's shown a weakness against lefthanders in previous seasons. Defensively he might be able to hack it in center field, but a corner spot is more likely. His bat should profile if he has to move. He has been splendid at Triple-A this year and in a smaller sample has done much better against southpaws.Less - 16Last: 17
Grayson Rodriguez
Orioles RHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 65
Skinny: The righthander made his long awaited major league debut this spring and has shown flashes of what made him among the most dominant starters in the minor leagues the last few seasons. His mid-to-high-90s fastball and quartet of secondaries provide true front-of-the-rotation upside. Rodriguez struggled mightily in the big leagues, however, and was demoted to Triple-A Norfolk on May 27 to work out the kinks.Less - 17Last: 18
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Cubs OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 45 | Run: 60 | Field: 80 | Arm: 55
Skinny: Center fielders who can defend and hit are becoming increasingly difficult to find in today’s game. The Cubs, however, might have just that in Crow-Armstrong. One of the best outfield defenders in the minors with feel to hit and power potential, Crow-Armstrong is a well-rounded prospect with all-star upside.Less - 18Last: 19
Junior Caminero
Rays SS/3BNotes:Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Caminero came to the Rays from Cleveland in a small trade and he's blown the doors off the competition ever since. After just 27 games in Low-A to close 2022, the Rays bumped Caminero to High-A this season and have watched as he's put on a show as the league's second-youngest player. He could be the Rays' latest steal. He overwhelmed the competition at High-A and was promoted to Double-A on May 30.Less - 19Last: 20
Jackson Merrill
Padres SSNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The term natural hitter gets thrown around a lot, but it’s an accurate description for Merrill. A cold weather prep player who’s blossomed into a plus hitting shortstop. Merrill will need to develop more in-game power to reach his ceiling, but his picture-perfect swing, bat speed and feel for the barrel should see the power develop in time.Less - 20Last: 21
Diego Cartaya
Dodgers CNotes:Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 70 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60
Skinny: Power-hitting catchers with above-average offensive potential are a rare breed. Cartaya is one of the few prospects in recent memory that fits that archetype. He has true plus-plus power, on-base ability and a real chance to stick behind the plate.Less - 21Last: 22
Endy Rodriguez
Pirates CNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 45 | Field: 50 | Arm: 55
Skinny: A versatile switch-hitting catcher capable of handling multiple positions, Rodriguez missed time early in 2023 due to a forearm injury. When on the field, Rodriguez boasts one of the most well-rounded skill sets in the sport.Less - 22Last: 23
Sal Frelick
Brewers OFNotes:Tools: Hit: 70 | Power: 40 | Run: 70 | Field: 50 | Arm: 45
Skinny: A thumb injury delayed Frelick’s ascent to the major leagues, but his plus-plus hit tool and speed give Frelick a high floor as an everyday outfielder. Frelick can do a variety of things on the field due to his athleticism.Less - 23Last: 24
Logan O'Hoppe
Angels CNotes:Tools: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60
Skinny: A shoulder injury ended a potential Rookie of the Year season from O’Hoppe. His ability to handle everyday catching duties while providing above-average offensive production should make O’Hoppe the Angels catcher of the future.Less - 24Last: 25
Kyle Harrison
Giants LHPNotes:Tools: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45
Skinny: There's not much of a doubt about Harrison's pure stuff, but advanced hitters and the challenging environment of the Pacific Coast League have shown him early that he needs to tighten his command to succeed at the highest level. He's still quite young, so there's plenty of time to develop.Less - 25Last: 26
Tyler Soderstrom
Athletics C/1BNotes:Tools: Hit: 60 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Field: 40 | Arm: 55
Skinny: The slugging catcher is likely to move off of the position long term, but his combination of feel to hit and power will play anywhere on the diamond. At 21 years old Soderstrom is on the cusp of the major leagues, and could contribute for the A’s this season.Less
