Standout MLB Prospects For All 15 Cactus League Teams

Diamondbacks

It wasn’t a shock Jordan Lawlar didn’t make the D-backs’ Opening Day roster. What was unexpected, however, was Arizona giving a four-year extension to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, essentially making Lawlar’s full-time path to the majors murkier than it already was.

That said, Lawlar made improvements at his position, especially since his tools and athleticism fit at shortstop. But now it’s about showing he can be consistent and adding some versatility. The power still hasn’t reached full potential quite yet, so maybe a full, healthy season can indicate where that aspect of Lawlar’s game truly stands.

Speaking of D-backs first-rounders, Druw Jones responded well in what was his healthiest season to-date at Low-A last season. He played great defense in 2024 and showed promise on the base paths—I saw him score from second on a sacrifice fly—but there are still concerns about his swing. In his at-bats on the backfields this spring, were a couple of hittable pitches that he hesitated on.

A couple of other names that stood out to me:

• Cristofer Torin’s bat-to-ball skills were present, plus he’s added some muscle.
• Ryan Waldschmidt showed loud contact in major league camp and on the backfields.
• Righthander Roman Angelo’s changeup is an impressive pitch, but for a 24-year-old who just reached High-A last season, he needs to pound the strike zone more than I saw on the backfields.

Athletics

Nick Kurtz, the A’s last first-round draft pick in Oakland history, looks head and shoulders above everyone else whenever he’s on the field. He showed off his powerful swing, which generated the second-highest 90th percentile exit velocity (109.4 mph) among Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects, plenty during the spring. He also crushed a ball on the backfields that left everyone in awe.

A's top prospect Nick Kurtz continues to impress this spring, hitting a home run in the A's Triple-A game against the Cubs. If you listen closely, you can hear the ball clank off the roof of the structure beyond right field 👀 pic.twitter.com/3CNQ3awUJG

— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) March 22, 2025

Speaking of power, Jacob Wilson has entered the conversation. Known for his high-contact rates and elite plate discipline, the Athletics’ starting shortstop led the club with four home runs this spring. His power surge is attributed to working out three times a week at the A’s complex over the offseason. It’ll be interesting to see how that translates in the regular season.

The A’s farm system should also provide plenty of pitching depth, with Luis Morales and Jack Perkins being two notable arms who impressed. There’s also quite the buzz within the organization around Gunnar Hoglund, whose fastball velocity has returned to the mid 90s after a 2021 Tommy John procedure.

A couple of other names that stood out:

• Righthander Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang has good command and will make batters work in the box.
• Nate Nankil has noticeably added muscle. The outfielder had a good season last year, so maybe there is more power in his future.

Cubs

Had the Cubs not opened in Japan last week, at this point in the spring we’d be talking about which prospects are breaking camp with the big league club. As it is, Matt Shaw got that answer early by playing in theTokyo Series against the Dodgers, where he recorded his first MLB hit. Not too shabby for the 23-year-old third baseman to start his career.

The rest of his fellow farmhands will wait for their assignments, including Kevin Alcántara, who has captured my attention since the 2023 Arizona Fall League season. It was encouraging to see him make his MLB debut during the last week of the 2024 season, but there is definitely some seasoning still left for the 22-year-old. Alcántara’s plate discipline has come a long way since then, specifically when it comes to cutting his chase rate. His lean, 6-foot-6 frame is appealing, but as a long-lever player, his swing still has some length to it. Shortening his swing will allow him to maximize his 60-grade power.

My sleeper pick from Cubs camp is Cristian Hernandez. He’s primarily been a shortstop but I’ve seen him play at third base quite a bit on the backfields. Hernandez has lost some of the elite prospect status he once had, but he looks comfortable, and there is still room to grow with his average arm. In the batter’s box, he has made plenty of adjustments, specifically having a shorter swing and pulling the ball with much more authority.

White Sox

Man, you have to feel bad for White Sox fans. Drew Thorpe is the latest White Sox pitcher to need Tommy John surgery. Six pitchers in Chicago’s camp have experienced arm issues, including Mason Adams and Ky Bush, both of whom are in the White Sox Top 30.

It may not provide much solace at the moment, but the White Sox have plenty to be excited about when it comes to lefthanders Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith. Outside of their last spring training outing where they both got rocked, their early results were encouraging, There is, however, plenty of command improvement needed. On Schultz’s end, he’s emphasized first pitch strikes. The result was mixed this spring. His fastball sat in the mid-to-upper 90s and struggled to land strikes. As for Smith, his stuff can carry him to being an elite big league pitcher. But, as he told me, he’s learning to become a true pitcher, which means not just throwing strikes but actually knowing how to work counts. Of the 80 pitches Smith threw this spring, only half of them were strikes.

A couple of other names that stood out:

• Kyle Teel impressed, and I wrote about him earlier in the spring.
• I had heard about infielder William Bergolla Jr.’s bat-to-ball skills, and seeing him in-person solidified that. In a backfield game facing Dodgers pitcher Dustin May, he showed off great plate discipline and recorded two hits against the big league pitcher.

Reds

The headliner heading into this season is Chase Burns, who was electric in his only MLB outing of the spring. He said that being shut down after getting drafted last summer helped teach him how to take care of his arm, which will be key, as his fastball touches 100 mph.

Burns isn’t the only pitching prospect named Chase in the system to be excited about, as Chase Petty has shown a step forward from his time as an amateur. Specifically, the righthander’s changeup usage has allowed him to become more of a true pitcher.

Two other pitchers who caught my eye in the spring breakout game were Luis Mey and Zach Maxwell, who pitched in the eighth and ninth inning, respectively. Both are bigger-frame righthanders who throw upward of 100 mph. They are likely to be relievers and will have success if they can hit the strike zone consistently. The only caveat to their Spring Breakout outings was that they were facing some very young Brewers minor leaguers, but stuff is stuff.

Offensively, Sal Stewart’s bat has made a lot of noise this spring. He was described as an “OPS machine,” and he showed that during his time in big league camp. He’s also progressed a lot defensively.

Guardians

During a Guardians backfield game against the Royals in Surprise, a group of travel ball players had their phones out, recording videos as Travis Bazzana approached the plate. That kind of excitement and anticipation is a reflection of the organization. Seeing Bazzana in person for the first time, I noticed he really uses his lower half a lot. Reports were that his barrel control was fun to watch on the backfields, making gap-to-gap contact look easy. His defense at second base looks solid, and he should be there long term.

Another Guardians infielder who stood out was Welbyn Francisca. You can tell by the way he approaches everything—batting, defense and running—that he puts plenty of effort into his game. His swing looked solid, but could be better if he adjusts his stance a bit, and he needs to learn when to be aggressive.

On the mound, Parker Messick had one of the more impressive outings in Spring Breakout, striking out five batters against a loaded Mariners lineup. Reports say that he’s come a long way, especially with his delivery. He’s learned to use his changeup but still has work to do with his fastball location.

Rockies

All eyes were on last year’s first-round pick Charlie Condon coming into camp, but a wrist injury in the very first spring training game he played will keep him sidelined for a while.

Meanwhile, Zac Veen did everything he could in his audition to make the Opening Day roster. Ultimately, the Rockies didn’t give the 23-year-old a spot, but when you look at what he has endured, it speaks volumes about the work he has put in.

That can be said for plenty of other players in the organization. Gabriel Hughes, who is being tabbed as a starter, is one of them. The 23-year-old righthander is finally showing his potential, and he didn’t allow a run in 6.1 innings of work in spring training. There’s plenty of hope for him to keep developing with a full season of health.

In the time I saw him in the backfields, Kyle Karros showed loud contact and hit balls into the deeper part of the yard. It seems that against breaking pitches is where the challenges come into play. As long as he keeps on making adjustments throughout his career, he can have success.

Benny Montgomery is another player with all the tools necessary to succeed. Out of all the players I saw, he looked the most midseason ready. Playing in Puerto Rico helps out with that. Most importantly, he looked consistent, which is what he needs to prove he can play in Colorado.

Angels

The Angels strength at the top of the farm system is very pitcher-heavy. However, the most impressive bat in the system is Kyren Paris. Angels manager Ron Washington said the No. 1 factor that has helped Paris develop is being a lot more confident at the plate. He has changed his approach with a more open stance and slight leg kick while following through with just one hand. He’s reaped the benefits so far, and with the Angels needing depth in the infield, he’s heating up at the right time.

Dodgers

Of all the Cactus League players, Zyhir Hope was the player I was most excited to watch. And he didn’t disappoint, as the 20-year-old outfielder hit one of the most impressive homers I saw on the backfields this spring, speaking to the talent and strength he oozes. He smacked a ball high and away, and what stood out to me the most was how he was able to adjust the height of his swing and compact it enough to get contact. At first, I thought it was going to be a routine fly ball. Instead, it kept carrying and left the yard. His hit tools remind me of the Athletics’ Lawrence Butler, who I saw grow in the California League.

As excited as I was for Hope, seeing outfielder Josue De Paula in person was also quite the treat. I didn’t get to see him unleash his 60-grade power, but I did witness his plate discipline. He put up some quality swings but also laid off some pitches that were borderline strikes, showing he’s not afraid to take walks.

While I did not get to watch him as of the posting of this story, Emil Morales’ MVP season in the Dominican Summer League has me intrigued. From what I’ve heard, there is serious power potential there. At just 18, he had a 90th percentile exit velocity of 102.6 mph to go with his 14 homers in the DSL.

Brewers

The tales of Jesus Made’s production in the Dominican Summer League were also intriguing. After interviewing the shortstop prodigy prodigy in early February and then watching him play in the backfields, it all made sense. Made is everything he is billed to be: a mature shortstop with excellent defense, a strong bat and, most importantly for his age (17), a mature mindset. It isn’t an official stateside debut, but he made loud contact this spring. The Brewers are confident in Made’s ability to handle Low-A, but it’s all about his comfort and poise as to whether he plays affiliated ball or continues to develop at the complex in Arizona.

Milwaukee’s system is much more than Made. In fact, Luis Peña, who was part of the same signing class as Made, also created plenty of noise with his speed and twitchy bat in the DSL. Peña displayed his impressive contact skills this spring, but there is still work to do. At times, he got caught chasing, and it was exposed when he faced a more developed pitcher in the Reds’ Luis Mey, who struck him out on three pitches during the Spring Breakout game.

On the mound, Jacob Misiorowski showed off his well-established fastball, but also his two lethal breaking pitches. The righthander did not have the strongest showing in Spring Breakout, but he was effective in minor league games.

To add to the pitching side, Craig Yoho’s performance this spring could have made the case for him to make the Opening Day roster. While he was ultimately assigned to minor league camp, his backdoor slider paved the way for his success this spring. Expect him to be in Milwaukee before long.

Royals

Whenever a prospect is asked about their arrival to the majors, the cliché answer is mostly the same: something like “I’ll worry about it when it gets here.” That isn’t the case for Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone, who made it clear he expects to make an impact in Kansas City this year. In spring camp, that kind of impact was felt. Seeing Caglianone up close, he has an overall strong control of his entire frame. Even in swings on which he doesn’t make contact, his smooth upper-cut style really flashes. On the backfields in Surprise, pitchers looked anxious to face him. In the one game I saw of him, he crushed a homer that looked destined to reach the apartment complex across the street.

Frank Mozzicato’s dwindling velocity and strikeout rates have been concerning, but his regained velocity (he sat 92-94 mph and had touched 95) give him a chance to bounce back.

The Royals will have a couple of options to call up from Triple-A when needed, but lefty Noah Cameron looks like the most developed, especially after his fastball gained some juice.

Padres

The Padres system was one of the more exciting ones heading into last season. This year, there is definitely some thump missing, but there are still plenty of pieces.

Leodalis De Vries was the most naturally gifted athlete I saw, and it’s crazy to think that he is still growing into his body. The switch-hitter displayed promising hit and barrel contact rates while also putting out a mighty swing each time up. At just 18 years old, the power will naturally come.

Before De Vries, Ethan Salas was the most talked-about prospect in the San Diego system. At 18, his body seems to be already developed, but there is room for growth. From what I saw, he can get a little antsy when in a two-strike count, but he always makes contact when in that position.

Giants

The Giants are intriguing. They have plenty of young, promising talent in different stages of their careers. For starters, 20-year-old Bryce Eldridge’s ascension through four minor league levels last season was astonishing. He is developed bat who, despite moving quickly, will need more time to develop, more than likely at Double-A.

Meanwhile, youngsters like Jhonny Level and Rayner Arias haven’t played a full season in Class A. Arias looked good on the backfields, which is an encouraging sign considering the unfortunate wrist injuries he’s had to endure. He had a couple of hard-contact balls and looked impressive on defense. The belief is playing a full season should display, for better or worse, his true power potential.

Level’s bat-to-ball skills have an impressive rate, and his power has flashed during his time in the DSL. He should be a candidate to play in the Arizona Complex League. If he can sustain his power, he’ll be in good company. But he also has other areas in which improve, like cleaning up his defense a bit and getting more control behind his throwing arm. 

Mariners

It was difficult to narrow down exactly who to highlight for the Mariners—that’s how loaded this system is.

To start off, Lazaro Montes was one of my top guys to watch, and I wrote a story Iast week about him and his huge power. Colt Emerson, Cole Young and Felnin Cleseten also each looked good. But switch-pitching Jurrangelo Cijntje is the one who’s going to become an attraction to watch at whatever ballpark he pitches. If he can live up to his potential, he might join Seattle’s Space Needle as a must-see attraction when in town.

The first pro glimpse of Cijntje came during Spring Breakout, which saw him get the better of last year’s No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana with a swinging strikeout on a sinker. Reports suggest he looks much better throwing righthanded rather than left. It’s going to be quite the challenge—in a good way—for the Mariners’ plan to develop him, but if there’s one thing they’ve proven based on their major league starting rotation, it’s that they know what to do with young pitchers.

That’s exactly why Ryan Sloan has the potential to be a frontend starter. His 6-foot-4 frame for a 19-year-old is unreal, but his stuff might be even better. His 97 mph fastball creates whiffs, and his changeup and slider have impressive movement. It’s always smart to exercise caution when developing a prep pitcher, but if the Mariners can find the right approach with Sloan, he could be their next ace.

Rangers

Catching a glimpse of Sebastian Walcott is interesting. The 19-year-old definitely looks like he could make an impact on the diamond, but he also wouldn’t look out of place if he decided to pursue a career on the gridiron. Regardless, Walcott has all the tools to one be a future No. 1 prospect, something that could happen a lot sooner than later. Everything from his batting practice to in-game swings fit the mold. His lengthy 6-foot-4-inch frame makes his longterm positioning interesting, but so far, he doesn’t look out of place at shortstop. We’ve seen that position become more physically imposing over the years, so if he can keep up, he’ll be in good shape.

Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are big-time pitching names that stand out, but Emiliano Teodo has also made waves. His stuff and delivery are impressive with his fastball can touch 100 mph, but his slider has looked good, and it’s a pitch that can prevail for him. He’s been used as a starter in the Rangers system, but could find a home in the back end of the bullpen based on his electric stuff.