Geoff Pontes’ Breakout MLB Prospects Team For 2025

Cole Messina, C, Rockies

After hitting .325/.465/.701 during his junior season at South Carolina, Messina went to the Rockies in the 2024 third round. He debuted in High-A following the draft and ran into some tough batted-ball luck. While Messina’s build is stocky, he’s an excellent runner for his size and has above-average power upside. He’ll likely return to High-A Spokane where he should handle a majority of the catching duties and hit high in the order. It’s a somewhat overzealous plate approach, but Messina has enough bat-to-ball ability and strong quality of contact.

Tony Blanco Jr., 1B, Pirates

Blanco is guaranteed to put up some of the most eye-popping exit velocities in the Florida State League this summer. In 2024 during Florida Complex League play, Blanco hit .305/.385/.505 over 30 games. He boasted some of the best exit velocity data in baseball over that stretch—a 112.3 mph 90th percentile EV and a 117.5 mph max EV. Blanco hits fastballs and handles velocity due to superior bat speed, but his ability to adjust to spin has been a bugaboo. If he’s able to make the necessary adjustments to handle breaking pitches, he has the potential to take off, as he’s blessed with 80-grade raw power and strong swing decisions. 

Aroon Escobar, 2B, Phillies

Signed out of Venezuela in January 2022, Escobar was a strong performer after coming stateside in 2024. He hit .338/.495/.481 over 77 at bats in the Florida Complex League last season. This spring, Escobar has been catching barrels seemingly at will, as he showed in the Phillies’ Spring Breakout game and during early play on the backfields. Escobar’s underlying data in 2024 suggests potential for a major breakout with Clearwater early this season. He shows strong bat-to-ball skills (15.8% zone-whiff), plate discipline (17.6% chase) and power, boasting a 104.4 mph 90th percentile EV in 2024. Based on early looks, Escobar might hit his way into the back end of the Top 100 by the middle of the summer.

Eric Bitonti, 3B, Brewers

If you’re looking for a young power hitter with 30-home run upside, Bitonti might be among the first players you’d pick. In his first full professional season, Bitonti split time between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A, hitting .320/.451/.580 with eight home runs over 51 games on the complex before hitting eight more home runs over 28 games in Low-A. Bitonti is 19 for all of 2025 and will likely return to Low-A where he’s already had some success. There’s some swing-and-miss concern for the long-limbed Bitonti, but his power upside is fascinating.

Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays

This breakout really happened last summer, but Nimmala is a major up-arrow name again this spring. The adjustments that Nimmala made at the plate led to a noteworthy surge in the second half of 2024. It’s continued this spring, as he’s making consistent hard contact and pairing barrels with strong plate discipline. Nimmala will likely jump into the Top 100 early in the season and could climb up the list. It’s a rare combination of developing power and plate skills with above-average shortstop defense. He’ll likely head to High-A Vancouver to begin 2025 where he’ll be one of the youngest players in the Northwest League.

Aidan Smith, OF, Rays

The Rays acquired Smith in the Randy Arozarena trade with the Mariners. While he may not have been as highly touted as other players in the Mariners’ 2023 draft class, Smith is trending upward this spring. The reports on Smith adding muscle and impressing during camp make him a smart bet to break out in 2025. He has a good blend of plate discipline, bat-to-ball skills and projectable power. He’s also plus runner with above-average-to-plus defensive ability in the outfield. Smith is a true five-tool prospect and one who could blossom into a Top 100 prospect in the coming months. 

Eduardo Beltre, OF, Twins

Beltre had a strong showing in the 2024 Dominican Summer League, hitting .326/.453/.618 and finishing second in home runs with 11. He also showed some speed with a dozen stolen bases. Beltre played in the Twins’ Spring Breakout game where he displayed speed and a balanced swing. He’s athletic and twitchy and showed well in center field, making multiple strong plays. Beltre will likely begin the season in the complex before making a jump to Low-A Fort Myers at some point this summer. Beltre is an-arrow up player whose hit tool will likely be tested in his first taste of full-season play.

Tai Peete, OF, Mariners

The athletic Peete looks likely headed for the outfield long term after seeing a majority of his games at shortstop in 2024. So this pick was perhaps cheating a little if he remains at shortstop. Peete made changes to his swing and approach, which helped him get to more power in the second half of the season with Low-A Modesto. He is already showing well in spring and could be primed for a big season. Peete is a plus athlete with plus power upside. He hits the ball in the air consistently, and his top-end exit velocity data is strong—103 mph 90th percentile EV. Peete’s plate skills are still raw, but as his bat-to-ball and approach improves, he should get to his power more consistently.

Yairo Padilla, UT, Cardinals

Dominican Summer League reports and buzz from the offseason have seen Padilla’s hype enter overdrive. He’s still fairly raw at the plate, but he has all the ingredients to develop into a star. He has size and power projection with strong athleticism. He showed strong bat-to-ball skills in the DSL in 2024, but his approach and hitting are still fairly raw. Due to this, Padilla will likely begin the season in the Florida Complex League. He might take some time to adjust, but his upside is exciting.

Brody Hopkins, RHP, Rays

Hopkins was acquired by the Rays alongside Aidan Smith for Randy Arozarena. The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Winthrop is a former two-way player in college who converted to full-time pitching in 2023. He threw 115 innings in his first professional season and reached High-A in the second half. Hopkins throws two fastball shapes in a four-seam and two-seam sitting in the mid 90s, as well as an upper-80s slider with sweep, a low-90s cutter and an upper-80s changeup he really kills lift on. It’s a eye-popping pitch mix, on par with some of the best in the minor leagues. An outstanding athlete, Hopkins has the ability to repeat his mechanics and handle innings. He’ll be a name to watch in 2025, as he could gain major helium with another strong performance.

Connelly Early, LHP, Red Sox

Early impressed in 2024 as a fifth-rounder out of Virginia, pitching to a 3.09 xFIP with a 30.8% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. Early mixed four-seam, slider, sweeper, curveball and changeup in 2024. His changeup was a plus pitch throughout the season and has excellent vertical and velocity separation off of his fastball. In his Spring Breakout start, Early sat 93-94 mph and touched 96 at peak. Those numbers are up from 2024 with improved velocity across his slider, sweeper and changeup, as well. Early threw 103.2 innings in 2024 and should see an increased workload in 2025, with a likely starting destination of Double-A Portland. With a strong performance in the Eastern League to begin the season, Early could see his profile rise quickly.

Didier Fuentes, RHP, Braves

Fuentes is an undersized righthander with really unique pitch characteristics who showed improved velocity in the Braves’ Spring Breakout game. Fuentes sat 95-97 mph, touching 98 multiple times. He struck out seven over three scoreless innings, and outside of a hit batter, he controlled the baseball. Fuentes has unusual traits on his fastball with a super flat vertical approach angle that was under -4 degrees in 2024. He also mixes a cutter-like slider that sat in the high 80s in Spring Breakout and a splitter. Fuentes’ arsenal is built to miss bats, and he has multiple avenues to pile up whiffs. It’s a matter of Fuentes showing average command and the ability to handle a starter’s workload and stay healthy. There’s some concern it won’t come to fruition, however, as Fuentes is listed at just 6-feet, 170 pounds. Still, he has the type of stuff that will make him a must-watch on his best nights this summer.

Juan Valera, RHP, Red Sox

The Red Sox pitching development might be on the verge of something special this season and Valera could be at the heart of any such development. The young righthander stands 6-foot-3 with a starting pitcher’s build, big stuff and some feel for the strike zone. Valera hit 100 mph in Boston’s Spring Breakout on his cut-ride fastball while mixing in firm, low-90s changeups with heavy armside run. His primary slider is a mid-to-high-80s slider with 7-8 inches of sweep. He also throws a sweeper with more horizontal break in the low-to-mid 80s. Valera should return to Low-A Salem, where he ended 2024, and could pitch his way to Double-A by the end of the season. Valera has truly eye-popping stuff.