25 MLB Prospects With Big 90th Percentile Exit Velocity Gains In 2025
Image credit: Enddy Azocar (Tracy Proffitt/Four Seam Images)
Each year here at Baseball America, we examine which prospects have made skill gains year over year. We look at improvements in plate skills (contact and approach), fastball velocity, pitch movement and, perhaps most importantly, exit velocity.
While skill improvements will make a significant difference in production—just ask the Cardinals’ Joshua Baez—there’s not much more important for a hitter to improve than power, as hitting the ball harder creates better results.
While exit velocity gains in the major leagues are typically minimal, there are prospects at all levels of the minor leagues who make considerable power jumps each season. Being able to identify these improvements and explain them with data is paramount. With this in mind, today we’ll be highlighting 25 players who saw substantial gains in 90th percentile exit velocity in 2025.
It’s important to note the majority of these players competed in the complex leagues and lower levels this season. That’s not surprising considering these levels are typically where we see the greatest period of growth for young hitters. Looking back at last year’s version of this story, we also see that targeting these velocity-gainers can be useful in identifying players in the process of making developmental leaps, as names like Roman Anthony, Joe Mack, Colby Thomas, Alan Roden and more populated the 2024 list.
Below, Baseball America subscribers can find the complete 2025 list followed by takeaways for some of the more intriguing names. To qualify, players needed to have a minimum of 80 batted-ball events in each of the last two seasons.
Top 25 EV Gainers For 2025
| player | org | age | 2024 90% EV | 2025 90% EV | YOY Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enddy Azocar | BOS | 18.3 | 98 | 105.4 | 7.4 |
| Eliesbert Alejos | AZ | 19.1 | 91.9 | 99.2 | 7.3 |
| Jorge Quintana | SD | 18.2 | 97.7 | 104.1 | 6.4 |
| Richard Matic | NYY | 17.9 | 97.6 | 103.8 | 6.2 |
| Brandon Butterworth | BAL | 22.8 | 96.4 | 102.8 | 6.4 |
| Deward Tovar | TEX | 19.2 | 100.8 | 106.9 | 6.1 |
| John Cruz | MIA | 19.8 | 96.5 | 102.5 | 6 |
| Cristofer Lebron | STL | 18.3 | 96.6 | 102.3 | 5.7 |
| Jurdrick Profar | CWS | 18.2 | 96 | 101.9 | 5.9 |
| Engel Paulino | MIL | 18.6 | 97.3 | 102.9 | 5.6 |
| Frederi Montero | MIL | 18.5 | 98.1 | 103.5 | 5.4 |
| Andrés Nolaya | BAL | 20.3 | 99.1 | 104.5 | 5.4 |
| Phillip Sikes | BOS | 26.2 | 101 | 106.3 | 5.3 |
| Paulino Santana | TEX | 18.6 | 98.4 | 103.7 | 5.3 |
| Brock Rodden | SEA | 25.1 | 99.3 | 104.5 | 5.2 |
| Jeremy Rivas | STL | 22.3 | 97.8 | 102.9 | 5.1 |
| Hector Salas | HOU | 21.3 | 97 | 102.1 | 5.1 |
| Zach Cole | HOU | 24.9 | 105.2 | 109.9 | 4.7 |
| Drew Gilbert | SF | 24.8 | 100.7 | 105.6 | 4.9 |
| Brady House | WSH | 22.1 | 104.3 | 108.8 | 4.5 |
| Luis Peña | MIL | 18.6 | 99.9 | 104.2 | 4.3 |
| Mikey Romero | BOS | 21.5 | 102.4 | 106.7 | 4.3 |
| Luis De La Cruz | CLE | 18.8 | 98.5 | 103.3 | 4.8 |
| Carlos Concepcion | SF | 19.5 | 101 | 105.6 | 4.6 |
| Moises Bolivar | LAD | 18 | 99.5 | 104.3 | 4.8 |
EV Gainer Takeaways
- The first thing that jumps out looking at the data is the organizations that saw the most EV gainers. The Red Sox and Brewers each boast three, followed by the Rangers, Astros and Cardinals with two apiece. The Giants also have two, but Drew Gilbert was a trade deadline acquisition, so it’s hard to count him as a Giant and not a Met. In the same vein, Jorge Quintana was acquired by the Padres at the deadline from the Brewers. This means the Brewers technically had four prospects on this list. As much credit as they get for pitching development, Milwaukee also has something brewing on the hitting side.
- Enddy Azocar’s gains this season were noted throughout the year, and his production followed. While Azocar struggled with the move to Salem—a notoriously difficult run environment—he still managed to raise his isolated slugging threefold between his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 and his 71-game sample in Low-A this year. A 7+ mph EV gain in one season for any hitter is impressive, and Azocar’s small sample in the Florida Complex League hints at the validity of those gains when facing age-appropriate competition.
- Success did not follow Diamondbacks shortstop Eliesbert Alejos this season, as he hit .241/.315/.302 in his stateside debut. He was a DSL repeater in 2024, so an improved stat line in his second season was expected. While Alejos’ gains were notable, his power went from 20-grade raw to 40-grade raw for his age and level. That simply isn’t enough to improve your BABIP substantially.
- Speaking of players who upped their power into above-average territory, Padres trade deadline acquisition Jorge Quintana made a serious EV jump, and it was noticeable in his stateside debut. Quintana hit .264/.349/.403 with three home runs over 50 Arizona Complex League games. He’s still hitting a lot of ground balls, so improved bat path and angles could lead to more airborne contact in the coming seasons. Quintana is a name to keep an eye on in 2026 despite only so-so results in 2025.
- Signed for $800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024, the Yankees’ Richard Matic disappointed in his professional debut and repeated the DSL this season. Matic saw a substantial gain in exit velocity in 2025 and, as a result, his production, as he hit .336/.487/.566. It’s tough to fully buy into this breakout, however, as the 18-year-old was repeating the lowest level of the minor league ladder. That said, Matic’s season certainly helped to revitalize his prospect status and makes him a player to watch heading into 2026.
- Rangers outfielder Deward Tovar spent all of 2023 and 2024 in the Dominican Summer League before making the jump stateside in 2025. He saw a tremendous improvement in power and production this year, as he gained over 6 mph in 90th percentile EV and hit .312/.412/.496 across 40 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. He posted a significant jump in game power, as his slugging from the DSL in 2024 and ACL in 2025 went up over 100 points. Tovar is the perfect example of what improved power can produce.
- We saw a little of Zach Cole in the major leagues at the end of the season. The Astros’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year has always shown plus power, but in 2025, his contact quality went to another level. His 109.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is among the best in baseball, and he shows true 80-grade raw power. Despite heavy swing-and miss in his profile, the added power helped Cole to make more out of the contact he does make.
- The Brewers’ Luis Peña was one of the top breakout prospects in 2025. While he’s long had plate skills, the added power in his second professional season saw him skyrocket up prospect lists to be considered one of the best bat-first players currently in the minor leagues. Adding over 4 mph of exit velocity helped the 18-year-old shortstop to make that leap.
