10 Arizona Complex League Prospects To Watch In 2025
Image credit: Emil Morales (Photo by Bill Mitchell)
The full-season minor leagues have been up and running for more than a month, but there are still a few more Opening Days to go. Up next are the domestic complex leagues in Arizona and Florida, which begin their seasons on May 3. The Dominican Summer League will follow later this year.
More leagues means more prospects, and we here at Baseball America aim to keep you abreast of all the talent the sport has to offer. With that in mind, here are 10 players to monitor this summer as they make their stateside debuts.
Emil Morales, SS, Dodgers
Morales opened eyes in DSL last summer and then turned heads on the backfields this spring in Arizona. The latest in Los Angeles’ pipeline of talented Latin American players, Morales offers a blend of power, hittability and the ability to stick on the left side of the diamond, even if shortstop might not be his long-term home. He has the potential to do damage in the middle of an order in a few years’ time.
Joswa Lugo, SS, Angels
Lugo announced his presence with authority on the backfields this spring, including a thundercrack of an opposite-field home run in the waning days of camp. The blast served as a reminder of the kind of thump he showed in the DSL, where he swatted 11 doubles, three triples and five home runs while adding 18 stolen bags for good measure. Lugo is likely to move off shortstop, but he has the tools to be an offensive force.
Jhonny Level, SS, Giants
Level led an intriguing San Francisco DSL bunch that also included outfielder Oliver Tejada and righthander Argenis Cayama, both of whom should also highlight the Giants’ group in Scottsdale. Level has an atypical body for shortstop, but he has the instincts to make the plays necessary to stick at the position in the long run. He has sound swings from both sides of the plate and makes hard contact that belies his smaller stature.
Chase Mobley, RHP, Guardians
In addition to No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana, the Guardians peppered their 2024 draft haul with a heaping helping of high-upside high school pitchers. Chief among the group was Mobley, who garnered a bonus of $1.8 million in the 10th round. The Florida prep product earned that money on the strength of a mid-90s fastball that can peak at 99 mph. He complements the heater with a potentially above-average changeup and a slider and curveball that could get to average with further development.
Yolfran Castillo, SS, Rangers
Castillo is one of two players on this list who will be returning to the ACL. The shortstop spent 15 games at the Rangers’ complex in Surprise, Ariz. last year after proving too talented to wait in the DSL longer than 20 games. At both stops, Castillo showed an exciting knack for contact, albeit with very limited impact. He struck out just 15 times across 163 plate appearances but produced just five extra-base hits (all doubles). Castillo’s future hinges on the way his body goes. If he can add strength and impact to his 6-foot-3 frame, he might begin to tap into his obvious upside. He has a chance to leave the ACL before the league concludes in July.
Humberto Cruz, RHP, Padres
Cruz was part of a San Diego international haul that also included teenage toolshed Leo De Vries. The righthander signed out of Mexico for $750,000, the second-highest outlay paid to an international pitcher in 2024. Cruz earned that money thanks to a mid-90s fastball and a potentially plus changeup. He also throws a slider that could get to solid-average, and he mixes the package together with high doses of pitchability. Cruz got into two ACL games last summer and will begin his season there after he finishes rehabbing a minor injury.
David Shields, LHP, Royals
Shields piqued evaluators’ interest during instructional league, and now will have the chance to do so in a more official setting. Kansas City selected Shields in the second round in 2024 out of high school in Pittsburgh. He brings his fastball into the mid 90s from the left side and can back the pitch with a slider and curveball that each have a chance to become above-average weapons. He rounds out his mix with a future average changeup and 55-grade control. The athletic former quarterback has midrotation upside, which he should begin scratching at this summer.
Gabriel Rodriguez, SS, Guardians
Rodriguez intrigued scouts in the 2024 Dominican Summer League, and then did so again this spring on the backfields in Goodyear, Ariz. The shortstop is part of a pack of interesting infielders who should pepper Cleveland’s ACL roster, and he is most likely of the group to actually stick at the position. He should make plenty of contact, though the amount of power he’s able to produce will largely depend on the way his body fills out as he matures. If he can take on some good weight, he might up his stock in a big way.
Ronny Cruz, SS, Cubs
Cruz was the Cubs’ third-rounder last summer, selected out of high school in Miami. The native of the Dominican Republic showed a lively bat on the backfields this spring thanks to a swing that produced plenty of low, stinging line drives to all sectors as well as enough impact to project future plus raw power. He does a good job staying inside the ball and keeps his swing on plane for a long time, but he might have to iron out his approach a bit to be less aggressive. Cruz will stay at shortstop for now, but his long-term home might be at third base.
Tyson Lewis, SS, Reds
Cincinnati has a phalanx of eyebrow-raising infield prospects that includes Sammy Stafura, Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo up the middle. Count Lewis firmly among that group, as well. The Reds’ second-rounder from 2024 earned praise as an amateur for his blend of athleticism and tools, which he showed off in high school in Nebraska. Swing changes in his draft year helped him rise up boards, and he was impressive during the post-draft bridge league, as well. At his best, Lewis could have a set of average-or-better tools across the board.
