Scouting Every AL West No. 1 Prospect For 2025

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As part of the ramp up to the start of the season, Baseball America is going deep on each of the top prospects in the AL West.

Joined by Scott Braun, J.J. Cooper and Geoff Pontes provide analysis for the division’s top prospects, explaining how each respective player climbed to No. 1 in their system, running through their scouting reports and laying out what you should expect in 2025.

Read on below for each Prospect Profile, as well as a podcast combining all five No. 1 prospect breakdowns from the AL West.

More Prospect Profiles

Time Stamps

(0:00) — Kumar Rocker, Rangers
(9:10) — Caden Dana, Angels
(18:50) — Cam Smith, Astros
(30:50 — Colt Emerson, Mariners
(42:25) — Nick Kurtz, Athletics

Enjoying our Prospect Profiles? A new one drops each day on our YouTube channel. You can see our Top 30s for each system here.

Kumar Rocker, RHP, Rangers

Scouting Report: Rocker clearly has the stuff to dominate MLB hitters. Now, he and the Rangers will face the challenge of safely getting him to a starter’s workload. He’s thrown fewer than 40 innings in each of the last two seasons, so the process may take time. If successful, he could fit toward the top of a rotation.

Caden Dana, RHP, Angels

Scouting Report: Dana needs to continue improving his third pitch and rounding out his arsenal but has the ingredients to be a workhorse No. 3 or 4 starter. He will be given the chance to crack the Angels’ rotation out of spring training in 2025 as a 21-year-old.

Cam Smith, 3B, Astros

Scouting Report: Smith is an advanced hitter with on-base skills and power. Questions about his future defensive position persist, but his above-average bat should be a fit anywhere on the diamond.

Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners

Scouting Report: Emerson projects to be an impact bat with a plus hit tool and zone control, along with average power and an average glove at the hot corner. He plays like someone who is mature beyond his years, and he could reach the major leagues in a hurry as one of the younger debutants.

Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics

Scouting Report: The A’s believe Kurtz has all-star upside at first base. His combination of power and plate skills should provide a reasonably high offensive floor with the chance to hit for plus average and 30 or more home runs without significant swing-and-miss concerns. After moving 2023 first-rounder Jacob Wilson aggressively last season, Kurtz could also move quickly if he can remain healthy, setting up a potential big league debut in Sacramento at some point in 2025 as part of an emerging young A’s core.