Scouting Every NL East 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 NL East.
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 NL East.
Time Stamps
- (0:00) — Jett Williams, Mets
- (9:50) — Thomas White, Marlins
- (19:30) — Dylan Crews, Nationals
- (28:00) — Andrew Painter, Phillies
- (37:40) — Drake Baldwin, Braves
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Enjoying our Prospect Profiles? A new one drops each day on our YouTube channel. You can see our Top 30s for each system here.
Drake Baldwin, C, Braves
Scouting Report: Baldwin’s continued offensive performance and strides in the batter’s box have taken him from a likely backup catcher to a potential first-division regular. He checks plenty of boxes as a lefthanded-hitting catcher with power, on-base skills and minor league track record. He could make his MLB debut in 2025, and he seems well-positioned to pair with Sean Murphy as Atlanta’s catching tandem from 2026 onward.
Thomas White, LHP, Marlins
Scouting Report: White has all of the ingredients to be a top-of-rotation starter, and his profile shares many similarities with Blake Snell. He projects to be a high-strikeout arm with plenty of weapons for both sides of the plate, with enough strikes to make it work. He’s projectable and just turned 20, meaning that his stuff could go from elite to otherworldly. He looks poised to reach Double-A before his 21st birthday, and he could reach Miami soon, though there is no rush because the Marlins possess a plethora of high-octane arms.
Jett Williams, SS, Mets
Scouting Report: Williams’ batted-ball quality improved late last season after recovering from a wrist injury and he got into a routine. He is receptive to coaching and has a well-rounded profile, but not necessarily a carrying tool—unless his plus speed shows up more consistently. With a few productive months in the minors in 2025, Williams could be poised for an MLB look as a 21-year-old. The Mets plan to keep him as versatile as possible, in case he needs to fill a specific position.
Andrew Painter, RHP, Phillies
Scouting Report: Painter boasts a 70-grade fastball that has touched triple digits, but missed the entirety of the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After shaking off the rust in AFL last fall, he’ll enter 2025 with a chance to quickly crack the rotation in Philadelphia. Team officials have no doubt he remains the system’s best prospect and might one day fit toward the top of the rotation at Citizens Bank Park.
Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
Scouting Report: Armed with a powerful swing and outstanding speed, Crews finished the 2024 season in Washington playing alongside rookies James Wood and Jacob Young in the outfield, which gives the organization a taste of what the future core of the team could look like. Crews has all-star upside and should be a mainstay in the Nationals’ lineup for years to come. Last season ended with Crews just a handful of at-bats away from officially graduating from prospect status.
