MLB Sleeper Prospects To Watch In 2025 For Every Team


Baseball America continues onward into prospect season with a look at some less-heralded players who could surprise in 2025.
Below, you’ll find one sleeper prospect in each MLB organization who could emerge this season. For the purposes of the exercise, a sleeper is defined as any prospect-eligible player who does not rank within his organization’s Top 10 prospects and was not designated as a breakout in our recent team-by-team posts (with a few exceptions).
2025 Top 100 Prospects
Baseball America presents its 36th annual preseason Top 100 Prospects list, topped by Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Roman Angelo, RHP
Angelo ascended from an undrafted free agent out of Fresno State to being one of the more impressive young arms in the D-backs’ system. His increase in velocity is the reason behind his success, with a fastball reaching the mid 90s and topping out at 97 mph. His changeup is his second-best offering, getting swings and misses at a 50% rate. Angelo incorporates a curveball and sinker, while also developing a cutter. In his first full pro season, the 24-year-old reached Class A, holding opponents to a .220 average. The righthander struck out 111 batters in High-A while issuing just 33 walks in 91.1 innings. – Jesús Cano
Athletics
Rodney Green Jr., OF
Green oozes power and speed and has a solid shot to stick in center field, but his 30.1% strikeout rate in college was a red flag. He still whiffed in-zone 25% of the time in his pro debut, but Green made encouraging strides limiting chase in a productive 24-game stretch with Low-A Stockton. Hit tool development will drive Green’s success. As such, he’s a volatile choice given the strikeout history, but the A’s think there are some subtle changes that will help Green make more contact, and they’ve had some recent success helping lefthanded hitters like Lawrence Butler and JJ Bleday make similar strides in recent years. – Mark Chiarelli
Atlanta Braves
Ethan Bagwell, RHP
The Braves have had a lot of success with multi-sport and two-way athletes,and Bagwell could be the next in line. He has a physical frame at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and showed improved fastball velocity in his senior season before getting drafted. He has been up to 96 and averaged around 93 mph. If he adds a bit more power to his slider and sharpens his control in his first full pro season, there’s plenty to like. – Carlos Collazo
Baltimore Orioles
Keeler Morfe, RHP
Morfe generates uncommon results from an uncommon frame. The 18-year-old Venezuelan is listed at 5-foot-8, but he stood tall in Dominican Summer League play in 2023 and 2024, striking out 63 batters in 47.2 innings with a three-pitch mix that could play as plus across the board. He pitches in the high 90s and backs his fastball with a mid-80s sweeper and lively changeup. Morfe’s secret is a repeatable, athletic delivery that should help him refine his control as he matures. – Matt Eddy
Boston Red Sox
Jedixson Paez, RHP
One of the elite control mavens in the lower minors, Paez had just a 3% walk rate in 2024. Still in need of added physicality, if Paez gets stronger and adds a few ticks onto his fastball, he could take a big jump in 2025. Paez mixes a pair of fastball shapes sitting 89-91 mph, with his true sinker seeing the majority of the usage. His primary secondary is his mid-80s changeup with heavy tumble and armside run. The changeup generated swinging strikes at a rate of 23% in 2024. Paez pairs his two fastball shapes and changeup with a sweepy, low-80s slider, a mid-80s cutter and a curveball with more depth than his sweeper. – Geoff Pontes
Chicago Cubs
Brody McCullough, RHP
After an injury-plagued 2024 season, McCullough could make a major jump in 2025 if he stays healthy. A tall, physical righthander with plus extension, McCullough mixes a trio of pitches led by his above-average cut-ride fastball sitting 92-94 mph. He mixes a pair of average secondaries in a slurvy low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup. His pitch mix plays up due to above-average feel for his arsenal and an ability to land all three of his offerings for strikes. – Geoff Pontes
Chicago White Sox
George Wolkow, OF
The 6-foot-7 Wolkow is the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect. Drafted in the seventh round in 2023 out of a Chicago-area high school, he hit a ball nearly 114 mph last season and posted a .194 isolated slugging percentage that was bettered only by Eric Bitonti, Arjun Nimmala and Leodalis De Vries among 18-year-old regulars who saw time in a full-season league. Power is not a question for the lefthanded-hitting Wolkow, but contact ability and discipline definitely are after he struck out 40% of the time in 2024. It will be a slow burn for Wolkow, but if everything clicks, he has elite power potential. – Matt Eddy
Cincinnati Reds
Luis Mey, RHP
Mey touches 103 mph, which makes him one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball. But that’s been true for multiple seasons now. What makes him a sleeper worth keeping an eye on are the control improvements that have taken him from “frighteningly wild” to “sporadically wild”. His sinker/slider combo is devastating when he throws strikes. His control remains well below average, but it’s trending in the right direction, and his sinker is brutally difficult to lift. He allowed just six extra-base hits (all doubles) among the 224 batters he faced in 2024. – J.J. Cooper
Cleveland Guardians
Joey Oakie, RHP
Oakie was a top-50 ranked prospect in the 2024 draft class on the strength of his electric fastball/slider combination. There is some reliever risk with Oakie because of his scattered control, but if he’s able to make strides in this area, his 92-95 mph fastball that has touched 97 should be difficult for both lefties and righties thanks to its big-time armside life. His mid-80s slider has a great combination of power, spin and movement that makes it an easy plus breaking ball projection. – Carlos Collazo
Colorado Rockies
Sandy Ozuna, RHP
A hard-throwing righthander that made his stateside debut in 2024, Ozuna has the ability to make a name for himself in his full-season debut in 2025. Ozuna’s four-seam fastball sits 93-96 mph with cut, touching 97 at peak. His smooth and athletic operation portend future gains, and he could be a prime candidate to add a sinker in the future. His low-to-mid-80s slider was his best bat-missing pitch in 2024, generating a 21.4% swinging strike rate against the pitch. Ozuna also mixes in a changeup but is still developing feel for the pitch. He showed above-average command of his arsenal and is a consistent strike thrower. – Geoff Pontes
Detroit Tigers
Jimenez will head to Low-A Lakeland in 2025, giving the switch-hitting catcher a chance to show he’s a well-rounded catcher with an average bat to go with a chance to be an above-average defender. The Tigers are suddenly loaded with catching prospects, but Jimenez’s combination of defense and hitting ability gives him a chance to quickly rise up the rankings. – J.J. Cooper
Houston Astros
Joseph Sullivan, OF
Scouts covering South Alabama were split on whether Sullivan or his teammate Will Turner would be the better pro prospect. The two went in a similar area of the draft, but the Astros (as well as other teams) had a higher grade on Sullivan. A standout in athletic testing data, Sullivan showed advanced plate skills with strong underlying exit velocity data in his pro debut, making him an up-arrow prospect around the industry this offseason. Despite seeing a majority of his time with South Alabama in an outfield corner, many believe that Sullivan has the ability to play center field long term. – Geoff Pontes
Kansas City Royals
Hunter Owen, LHP
Owen is a big, physical lefthander with a strong track record as an advanced strike-thrower. After dealing with shoulder soreness in 2023, he made his pro debut in 2024, logging 23 starts and 102 innings with High-A Quad Cities. He managed a strong 7.5% walk rate and dominated lefties (.431 OPS allowed), but needs to miss more bats to raise his ceiling. Though he sits 90-94 mph with his fastball, he has a few interesting secondaries between a mid-80s changeup and mid-80s slider. – Carlos Collazo
Los Angeles Angels
Samy Natera Jr., LHP
The 25-year-old Natera has scintillating stuff, but an elbow injury limited him to just 15 regular season innings in 2024 before he electrified in a brief return to the Arizona Fall League at the end of the year. Natera’s mid-90s fastball has solid ride and run, and he pairs it with a sweeping, low-80s slider. He also mixes in a separate two-seamer, cutter and changeup. Natera’s violent delivery and past injury history present concerns. His pitch mix and Los Angeles’ willingness to move players quickly puts Natera on the radar in a light system, even if he ultimately moves to the bullpen. – Mark Chiarelli
Los Angeles Dodgers
Brendan Tunink, OF
Tunink was the Dodgers’ eighth-round selection in 2024 out of high school in Illinois. The team coveted him thanks to his combination of athleticism, speed and remaining projection. As with any tooled-up high schooler from a cold-weather state, his development might take longer than a more veteran prospect, but the results should be worth the wait. Tunink was shut down after signing and will likely begin his career in the Arizona Complex League, where he’ll work on turning his athleticism and projection into reality. — Josh Norris
Miami Marlins
Keyner Benitez, LHP
Benitez was promoted to full-season ball the day after his 18th birthday, and he not only held his own there but was one of the stronger performers in the league. He already pitches with a fastball up to 95 mph, a changeup that has the makings of an above-average pitch and a big sweeping slider. Weighing at just 165 pounds, Benitez has plenty of room to add weight and strength. He has some similarities to fellow Dominican left-hander Francisco Liriano. If Benitez’s command continues to come along, there is quite a lofty ceiling here. – Austin Yamada
Milwaukee Brewers
Jadher Areinamo, 2B/3B
Areinamo is 5-foot-8. He doesn’t have much power. He doesn’t have a plus arm or plus speed. His swing isn’t exactly textbook. Yet, Areinamo finds a way to make it work, both at the plate and in the field. He won the batting title in the High-A Midwest League last year thanks to outstanding bat control, with managers voting him the best defensive second baseman in the league. He’s an instinctive, skills-over-tools player who could continue to sneak up on people at higher levels. – Ben Badler
Minnesota Twins
Eduardo Beltre, OF
A seven-figure signing out of the Dominican Republic last January, Beltre battled a wrist injury early in the Dominican Summer League season but was still among the best power hitters in the league. His ability to marry a compact, powerful swing to present power that should only continue to improve makes him a prospect to watch as he comes to the U.S. for the first time. – J.J. Cooper
New York Mets
Jonathan Santucci, LHP
Drafted in the second round out of Duke in 2024, Santucci throws a bat-missing, low-to-mid-90s fastball with good characteristics. His slider plays as plus against batters of both hands. Where he struggled in the Atlantic Coast Conference was in limiting walks and mastering a third pitch. The Mets have reaped value from past power-armed collegians drafted in the second round—Brandon Sproat in 2023 and Blade Tidwell in 2022—by expanding their repertoires in pro ball to identify new pitch types and eliminate others that don’t work. – J.J. Cooper
New York Yankees
Cam Schlittler, RHP
Schlittler’s name popped up on the backfields in 2023, but his coming out party took place over the course of the 2024 season. The righthander revamped his delivery, got stronger and added several ticks of velocity to his fastball. Now, the pitch sits in the mid 90s and touches 97 mph. His fastball and curveball are each among the best in the system, and his 154 strikeouts topped the organization. His slider flashes plus, and he rounds out his mix with a fringy changeup. He has a chance to fit toward the back of a rotation and could get a taste of the big leagues in 2025. – Josh Norris
Philadelphia Phillies
Eduardo Tait is the star of the show when it comes to Phillies catching prospects, but Ferrebus deserves some love, as well. The 19-year-old played just 24 games in 2024 but reached the states for the first time. The Phillies praise Ferrebus for his big-time power, strong arm and standout attitude. Whether he can catch is an open question, but his bat might be enough to get him to the big leagues no matter where he lands on the diamond. – Josh Norris
Pittsburgh Pirates
Wilber Dotel, RHP
Dotel added 3 mph to his fastball in 2024, one of the biggest year-over-year increases in the minors. His 96 mph four-seamer scraped triple digits at times, and he also regularly turned to a low-90s two-seamer to chase grounders. Dotel’s newfound power allowed him to overhaul his 87 mph slider, and scouts saw encouraging fading action on his changeup. Dotel is still learning how to harness and sequence his arsenal, which led to some inefficiency as he struggled to put batters away. His arsenal and development trajectory is similar to RHP Luis Ortiz, who once broke out in the Pirates system and was dealt to Cleveland this winter. – Mark Chiarelli
St. Louis Cardinals
Nathan Church, OF
One of the higher-rated defensive outfielders in the minor leagues based on advanced metrics, Church showed strong bat-to-ball skills in 2024, as he reached Double-A Springfield. Church followed that up with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .364/.397/.418. While there’s still skepticism around his offensive profile, Church has shown strong plate skills to go with 70-grade speed. He is an outstanding defender in the outfield with a plus-plus arm, too. Any potential gains to his hitting ability could see Church’s long term outlook jump to a fringe-regular at the major league level. – Geoff Pontes
San Diego Padres
Sean Barnett, RHP/OF
Barnett currently ranks as the No. 25 prospect in San Diego’s system, but he generated plenty of buzz this fall on the back fields. Though he was used only as a hitter in his pro debut, Barnett has intriguing upside on the mound. The 6-foot-2 righthander is an advanced athlete armed with a mid-90s fastball that was up to 98 mph with upwards of 20-inches of ride. He also boasts a power slider that has the makings of a future swing-and-miss pitch. Barnett is still rather raw on the mound and needs a few coats of polish, but the upside is undeniable. – Peter Flaherty
San Francisco Giants
Trent Harris, RHP
Harris is a relief-only prospect, but he was one of the more dominant relievers in the minors in 2024. In fact, he was one of just four pitchers in the minors to strike out 100 hitters in fewer than 100 innings without making a start. His fastball ranks as the best in the organization and pairs nicely with his top-down curveball to form an east-west attack plan. He has a slider and a split-change, too, and controls the zone well. The biggest knock on Harris is his advanced age and lack of upper-level experience, but he could reach the big leagues in 2025 if he passes the tests at the high minors. – Josh Norris
Seattle Mariners
Josh Caron, C
Caron was a favorite of some members of the Mariners’ analytics department, and they took him in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. He’s a well-rounded bat with the chance to hit for average and power while controlling the zone. In his brief pro debut, he showed off encouraging exit velocity and contact numbers. Caron currently struggles in the catch-and-throw department, but he has a ceiling as an everyday backstop if he can polish his overall defense. Despite a lack of track record as an amateur prospect, Caron has a chance to cement his value if he continues to hit in 2025. – Austin Yamada
Tampa Bay Rays
Homer Bush Jr., OF
We’re trying to stick to a relatively solid definition of “sleeper” here. The Rays 11-14 range is filled with players who would be slam dunk top 10 prospects in most systems. Brody Hopkins, Aidan Smith, Jackson Baumeister and Theo Gillen aren’t sleepers so much as they are overflow from a very deep farm system. Bush, another trade deadline acquisition, fits the definition a bit better. He has shown blazing speed and exceptional defense, so if he can just get to being an average hitter with modest power, he could lock down a big league starting job. The Rays are very encouraged by the work he put in this offseason, as they believe he will be able to better use his strength and athleticism from a more upright stance. – J.J. Cooper
Texas Rangers
David Davalillo, RHP
It’s not often the minor league ERA leader qualifies as a sleeper, but Davalillo’s reign in that category certainly qualifies. The righthander was briefly part of the Mets organization before landing with Texas and then broke out in a big way in 2024. Davalillo’s money pitch is his split-changeup, which garnered whiffs at a clip of nearly 58%. Nothing in his arsenal is plus, but he pitches with the guile and gumption of a seasoned vet, a trait attributable to his father, a former professional and a longtime minor league coach, as well. Davalillo will reach the upper levels in 2025 for the first time. – Josh Norris
Toronto Blue Jays
RJ Schreck, OF
It took a few years for Schreck to find his swing, but in 2024, he took a big step forward. After producing a .865 OPS with High-A Everett to begin the season, Schreck was promoted by the Mariners to Double-A. The Blue Jays acquired Schreck for veteran infielder Justin Turner at the 2024 trade deadline. Following the trade, Schreck impressed with his blend of plate skills and power, showing a plus hit tool with average power and the ability to drive the ball to his pull side. A late bloomer, if Schreck can build on his 2024 performance, he could be the next in a long line of under-the-radar, bat-first Blue Jays prospects. – Geoff Pontes
Washington Nationals
Marquis Grissom Jr., RHP
As the son of a former MLB all-star, the Nationals knew they drafted an athlete in Grissom when they selected the pitcher out of Georgia Tech in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He’s earned praise from scouts for his changeup and many within the Nationals organization have taken notice. Working exclusively as a reliever, Grissom held opponents to a .214 batting average with his changeup. In 2024, Grissom he his change nearly as often as his fastball, generating a high rate of swings (58.1%) and lots of whiffs (49.5%) despite the higher usage. Grissom earned a non-roster invite to Spring Training and could factor into the Nationals’ bullpen very soon. – Savannah McCann