Risers, Fallers & New Additions To July 2025 Top 100 Prospects Update

Players Who Joined The Top 100

Note: This includes players previously added to the Top 100 Prospects rankings during the month of June to replaced graduated prospects.

Jefferson Rojas, SS, Cubs (No. 82)

This is a return to the Top 100 for Rojas, who was on the list heading into 2024. He never fell too far off the list, and with a solid performance in the Midwest League, he’s showing again that he can be an average regular one day.

Esteban Mejia, RHP, Orioles (No. 84)

No one has come further to climb onto this list. Mejia has been the buzz of the Florida Complex League with a 100+ mph fastball and the makings of two other plus pitches. His delivery isn’t picture perfect, and he needs to refine his control, but there are few pitchers with three potentially plus pitches.

Aroon Escobar, 2B, Phillies (No. 87)

Escobar is one of the best hitters in the Florida State League with power potential and plate discipline. He could be pushing for a mid-season promotion.

Jhostynxon Garcia, OF, Red Sox (No. 88)

Garcia may end up being blocked in a crowded Red Sox outfield, but evaluators see him as a not-far-from-ready future regular.

Cam Schlittler, RHP, Yankees (No. 89)

Schlittler was the Yankees’ MiLB pitcher of the year last year, and this year he’s been even better. He has added velocity and refined his slider as a pro, which helps him rack up plenty of strikeouts.

Sal Stewart, 3B, Reds (No. 90)

Stewart’s advanced hitting ability has long been lauded, but he’s starting to show he can turn and burn on a pitch when needed, as well.

Jack Perkins, RHP, Athletics (No. 91)

Perkins recently earned a callup to the big league club after he somehow managed to dominate in the very pitching-unfriendly environment of Las Vegas. For now, he’s providing length out of the bullpen, but he could start later this year.

Luis Morales, RHP, Athletics (No. 92)

Morales ranks right behind Perkins, but he did beat him to joining the Top 100, as he slid in when graduations struck in June. He has a bit more upside than Perkins but also a bit more risk.

Logan Henderson, RHP, Brewers (No. 93)

The Brewers have done it again. They entered the year with questions about their rotation depth, but the emergence of Henderson and the breakout from Jacob Misiorowski (see below) have them rolling.

Mick Abel, RHP, Phillies (No. 94)

Abel has put his 2024 struggles behind him by showing a return to his earlier career form. He should graduate before our August update.

Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Twins (No. 96)

The Twins are excellent at identifying and developing college infielders, and Culpepper looks to be the latest example. He’s quickly jumped to Double-A while showing a blend of power, on-base ability, speed and defense.

Carson Benge, OF, Mets (No. 97)

The Mets’ 2024 first-rounder just got the call to Double-A after an excellent .302/.417/.480 first half at High-A Brooklyn.

Brice Matthews, 2B/SS, Astros (No. 98)

After playing at four different levels in 2024, Matthews has settled in at Triple-A this year. He’s not a true shortstop, but he does have multi-position flexibility around the infield while showing solid pop and plate discipline.

Players Who Dropped Out Of The Top 100

Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals (Was No. 60)

Mathews has returned from an early season stint on the injured list with shoulder soreness. But his stuff has not fully returned yet. His velocity has dipped, and his pitches aren’t as sharp. That explains his 4.2% K%-BB%. The hope is he’ll return to form as he gets stronger, but for now, he slides off the Top 100.

Jackson Ferris, LHP, Dodgers (Was No. 74)

Ferris has been better than his 5.55 ERA may indicate, but he has not been as sharp or impressive in Double-A. He’s still on the fringe of Top 100 consideration, but he got bumped out by new players joining the list.

Felnin Celesten, SS, Mariners (Was No. 78)

Scouts who have seen Celesten this year haven’t been as wowed as those who saw him last year. He’s been solid but unspectacular in the California League so far.

Chase Petty, RHP, Reds (Was No. 83)

Petty seems stuck right now. He’s continued to impress at Triple-A, but he’s made three separate appearances in Cincinnati, and in all three occasions, he struggled so bad that he needed to be sent right back to Triple-A. Big league hitters are hitting .452 against him. He’s still a promising starter, but he may not be as big league ready as we thought.

Cole Carrigg, OF, Rockies (Was No. 93)

Carrigg remains a very solid defender in center with the secondary skills at the plate to be a useful big leaguer. But the arrival of a new-wave of additions has bounced him off the Top 100.

Biggest Top 100 Risers

Mike Sirota, OF, Dodgers (+51 spots from No. 97 to No. 46)

Sirota has been taking big leaps up the rankings. He looks very much like the draft prospect who was projected to be a first-rounder coming into the 2024 season.

Payton Tolle, RHP, Red Sox (+39 spots from No. 88 to No. 49)

Tolle’s 32.1% K%-BB% is the best in the minors among pitchers with 50+ innings. If you watch him pitch, it’s easy to see why.

Jonah Tong, RHP, Mets (+35 spots from No. 95 to No. 60)

Tong’s fastball-changeup combination continues to carve up Double-A hitters. He’s unconventional, but so far, it’s working for him.

Eduardo Quintero, OF, Dodgers (+34 spots from No. 96 to No. 62)

Quintero is yet another Dodgers outfielder who is having a breakout season, although in his case, the underlying talent he showed last year makes this an only modest surprise.

Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates (+25 spots from No. 27 to No. 2)

Griffin came into the season ranked 57th on the Top 100. There were plenty of worries about how well he could hit, even if every other tool was plus. Griffin jumped to No. 50 after spring training, No. 42 in May, No. 27 in June and now he’s the heir apparent to be the next No. 1 prospect in the game. Concerns about his hit tool are receding as he keeps showing better and better at-bats month after month even while jumping to High-A.

Travis Sykora, RHP, Nationals (+22 spots from No. 50 to No. 28)

Sykora missed a little time and then dominated High-A hitters. He’s rightfully earned a jump to Double-A after showing consistently-plus stuff.

Trey Yesavage, RHP, Blue Jays (+19 spots from No. 89 to No. 70)

Yesavage’s stats this year are a bit boosted by him starting the year in Low-A and toying with hitters who had zero chance of hitting him. He’s at a much more appropriate level now, and his stuff looks like he can be a midrotation fixture.

Jeferson Quero, C, Brewers (+18 spots from No. 63 to No. 45)

Welcome back. On June 3, Quero made his long-awaited return to Triple-A some 14 months after he injured his shoulder diving back into first base. He’s a solid hitter and excellent defender in an organization that does a great job developing catchers.

Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets (+18 spots from No. 69 to No. 51)

McClean cruised through five Double-A starts and has quickly become one of the best pitchers in Triple-A. He’s making a case for a second-half callup.

Lazaro Montes, OF, Mariners (+17 spots from No. 56 to No. 39)

Montes leads the minors with 21 home runs, and he’s earned a promotion to Double-A. His defense will never be great, but if he can mash like this, it won’t matter.

Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Mets (+16 spots from No. 21 to No. 5)

Misiorowski started the year ranked 44th, jumped to No. 35 in May, No. 21 in June and now he’s the top-ranked pitching prospect in the game. He has wowed with his stuff and impressive improvements to his control and command.

Josue De Paula, OF, Dodgers (+15 spots from No. 37 to No. 22)

It’s been a great year for Dodgers’ outfielders. To be more precise, it’s been a great year for Dodgers’ High-A Great Lakes outfielders, as three Loons outfielders are on the biggest risers list.

Jonny Farmelo, OF, Mariners (+15 spots from No. 55 to No. 40)

Farmelo has put a significant knee injury behind him, showing the same athleticism that made him a breakout prospect early in the 2024 season.

Caleb Bonemer, SS, White Sox (+15 spots from No. 87 to No. 72)

Often cold-weather high school draftees need some time to catch up to the speed of pro ball. Don’t tell that to Bonemer, who has been one of the better hitters in the Carolina League.

Brandon Clarke, LHP, Red Sox (+15 spots from No. 90 to No. 75)

Clarke just returned to the mound for High-A Greenville. Normally an injured pitcher doesn’t move up, but we received further industry feedback that we had been too conservative with his ranking.

Eduardo Tait, C, Phillies (+14 spots from No. 64 to No. 50)

Tait’s power stands out, as the Futures Gamer is a catcher who could hit 20+ home runs one day in the majors.

Zyhir Hope, OF, Dodgers (+14 spots from No. 40 to No. 26)

The third Great Lakes outfielder to show up on the risers list, Hope is an offensive force.

Jett Williams, CF/SS, Mets (+11 spots from No. 59 to No. 48)

Williams is an on-base machine who swipes bags while hitting doubles and triples to the gap. He’s shown he can handle the Eastern League. It’s getting close to time to see how he can handle Triple-A.

JJ Wetherholt, SS, Cardinals (+10 spots from No. 24 to No. 14)

Wetherholt was considered one of the best pure hitters in the 2024 draft class. A year later, he looks like one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues.

Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics (+10 spots from No. 71 to No. 61)

A fast-moving 2024 draftee, Jump has gone 4-2, 1.91 with an impressive 44-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first eight starts at Double-A Midland.

Biggest Top 100 Fallers

Roki Sasaki, RHP, Dodgers (-35 spots from No. 2 to No. 37)

Sasaki didn’t show the same stuff he’d had in Japan, and a now lengthy stint on the injured list with a shoulder injury helps explain why. Hopefully, he’ll return to his 2023 form, but it’s not clear when he’ll get back on the mound, and he needs that elite-level fastball to make his arsenal work.

Carson Williams, SS, Rays (-44 spots from No. 32 to No. 76)

Williams’ hit tool has always been his weakest, but his struggles this year have still been puzzling and alarming. He’s been better in June, but a 35.8% strikeout rate is unsustainable and leads to worries that he could be a very-low-average shortstop with a great glove and some power. That will still get him to a big league regular role because he’s that good defensively.

Rhett Lowder, RHP, Reds (-12 spots from No. 43 to No. 55)

An oblique injury has cost Lowder half the season, and there’s no assurances he’ll be back anytime soon.

Noah Schultz, LHP, White Sox (-10 spots from No. 14 to No. 24)

Don’t get too worried about Schultz’s early struggles in Triple-A, but he does need to refine his control.

Coby Mayo, 3B, Orioles (-12 spots from No. 51 to No. 63)

Mayo will graduate shortly, and he has been putting together better at-bats in the majors, but his power has yet to show up in the big leagues.

Jaison Chourio, OF, Guardians (-33 spots from No. 44 to No. 77)

He’s making up for lost time after an early-season IL stint, but the concerns about Chourio’s lack of impact aren’t being helped by his .215 slugging percentage in the Midwest League.

Alex Freeland, SS, Dodgers (-21 spots from No. 35 to No. 56)

This seems to be a big drop, but it’s more of an acceptance of multiple pieces of scouting feedback indicating that Freeland is a solid player, but without the tools to be an impact regular.

Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox (-25 spots from No. 53 to No. 78)

Smith needed to be shut down to work on his mechanics after his stuff backed up and his control deserted him. He’s not giving up any hits, and he’s back on the mound, but the worries that he may end up being a reliever have gotten a bit louder. 

Jarlin Susana, RHP, Nationals (-25 spots from No. 54 to No. 79)

Susana is sidelined with an elbow injury. The hope is he won’t need surgery, but it is costing him development time, and it could be a lingering concern.

Dasan Hill, LHP, Twins (-26 spots from No. 74 to No. 100)

Hill hasn’t shown the same electric stuff in his return to action. He’s still a very promising young pitching prospect, but the dip in the rankings reflects that he’s not showing the elite stuff he’d flashed early this year.

Prospect Graduates

Chase Dollander, RHP, Rockies

Dollander is trying to become the pitcher who can survive the Coors Field curse. It’s a tough climb and one few pitchers have survived.

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics

Kurtz has quickly become the power threat the A’s needed. He was one of the better sluggers in the majors in June. 

Matt Shaw, 3B, Cubs

After a trip back to Triple-A, Shaw has found his footing as a solid defender who isn’t asked to do too much offensively in a loaded Cubs’ lineup.

Drake Baldwin, C, Braves

Even on a team that has an established catcher on a long-term deal, Baldwin has been too good to keep on the bench. He looks like a potential future all-star.

Edgar Quero, C, White Sox

Quero is sharing the White Sox catching job with fellow Top 100 Prospect Kyle Teel. He’s shown patience at the plate and is an average receiver.

Kumar Rocker, RHP, Rangers

He’s had some ups and downs, but Rocker is showing signs of settling into the Rangers’ rotation.

Chandler Simpson, OF, Rays

Simpson has been as advertised so far. He’s the best basestealer in the major leagues and a solid hitter, but he has to improve defensively, and he has very little power.

Ronny Mauricio, 3B, Mets

Mauricio has shown his power and his versatility, but he struggled otherwise in a second stint with the Mets.